Technical team returns Monday for full review of energy sector

A technical team representing the country’s lenders will be returning to Athens Monday to examine, with Greek authorities, the progress of energy-sector revisions agreed to in the bailout era.

Besides the disinvestment procedure for main power utility PPC lignite units and the course of privatizations, the visiting team’s inspection will primarily focus on the local effort being made for maintenance of the target model’s time frame, which appears to be behind schedule.

For quite some time now, the country’s lenders have applied pressure on Greece for full implementation of the target model – aiming for market coupling, or harmonization of EU wholesale markets – by the first quarter of 2019 and a launch of the local energy exchange by April.

These target dates will be difficult to achieve given the current rate of developments. The time frame’s viability is expected to be discussed by Greek officials and the visiting inspectors.

Electricity market liberalization issues as well as developments concerning RES auctions and the implementation of a transitional CAT mechanism compensating electricity producers offering grid flexibility will also be on the agenda.