Athens court orders gas distribution operators to return €8m to industries

The Athens Administrative Court of Appeals has given industrial enterprises the green light to recover just over 8 million euros in compensation fees for 2015 and 2016, validated by RAAEY, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, from the country’s three gas distribution network operators, EDA Attiki, EDA THESS and DEDA, after they had appealed the authority’s decision.

RAAEY has approved specific amounts compensating industrial enterprises for universal charges imposed on them by the three gas distribution network operators between August 14, 2015 to December 1, 2016.

However, the gas distribution network operators have failed to make the specified compensation payments, resorting, instead, to legal action disputing RAAEY’s decision.

Three of metal group Viohalco’s companies, Elvalhalkor, Sidenor and Sovel, are entitled to compensation amounts.

According to the RAAEY decision, gas distributor EDA Attiki, covering the wider Athens area, must return a total of 1.44 million euros to industrial consumers, EDA THESS, covering Thessaloniki and Thessaly, owes 3.26 million euros to industrial players, and DEDA, responsible for gas distribution to all other parts of Greece, must return 4.13 million euros to industrial customers.

The 8.83 million-euro sum is expected to be paid by the three gas distribution network operators over 36, interest-free installments, from November, 2021 to October, 2024.

Should the operators appeal the Athens appeals court verdict, the case will need to be taken to the Council of State, Greece’s Supreme Administrative Court.