The country’s independent electricity producers are on the verge of missing out on annual remuneration worth 80 million euros and offered through a temporary CAT mechanism rewarding flexibility as a result of a new European Commission term setting the implementation of target model regulations as a prerequisite.

A temporary CATs auction scheduled for March 20 was cancelled after Brussels determined that Greek authorities failed to fully deliver on revisions that would have enabled demand response operators to participate at these auctions.

The loss of these temporary CATs will directly impact private-sector electricity producers. Natural gas-fueled power stations and hydropower facilities were anticipating an influx of flexibility CATs by the end of March, the mechanism’s first period, while the second period, beginning April 1 and running until the end of the year, was planned to include demand response operators and energy storage facilities.

Acknowledging the problem, energy ministry officials have noted that a last-ditch effort is being made to deliver revisions that would enable flexibility CAT eligibility for demand response operators.