Payment delays for renewable energy (RES) producers, provided by LAGIE, the Electricity Market Operator, have exceeded five months since summer following a period of relative stability during which producers feeding the grid were being paid for RES output three to four months after issuing invoices.

The slowdown in payments has been even greater for RES producers on non-interconnected islands, who, until now, were enjoying far more punctual payment schedules, receiving their payments no more than two months after submitting their output details. The authority distributing payments for non-interconnected island RES producers, HEDNO, the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator is now also taking at least five months to make payments, an unprecedented delay period.

According to SPEF, the Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Energy Producers, the slowdown is linked to a main power utility PPC decision on how to offset debt amounts with its wholly owned subsidiary, IPTO, the power grid operator, now undergoing a bailout-required sale process.

SPEF has reported that, since August, PPC has ceased providing IPTO the RES-supporting ETMEAR surcharge amounts included on electricity bills, portions of which are relayed for RES producer payments.

PPC has also stopped paying HEDNO, locally acronymed DEDDIE, which has made it impossible for the latter to meet electricity producer payments.

As has been the case in the past, affected RES producers are in despair as to how to cover various commitments including tax, bank, social security and business operation payments, not to mention household needs.