New flexible energy production units could be introduced to Crete’s electricity grid and more recent diesel-fired power stations relied on by the island for power could be granted additional operating time by the European Commission to combat a looming local energy insufficiency threat as of 2020, when the main power utility PPC will need to begin withdrawing high-polluting units, energy minister Giorgos Stathakis informed yesterday.

The diesel unit withdrawal process, to be executed in 2020 and 2021, will begin with older facilities and gradually clear out most recent units as well.

Crete faces an energy supply shortage of as much as 200 MW, even following the launch of a small-scale grid interconnection project linking the island with the Peloponnese as a first step to Crete’s major-scale link with Athens, due for completion in 2022, according to a joint study conducted by power grid operator IPTO and DEDDIE/HEDNO, Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator.

Conditions have ripened for a positive response from the European Commission to a Greek proposal for life extensions of Crete’s diesel-fired units, IPTO’s chief executive Manos Manousakis told a news conference yesterday.