PPC waiting for gov’t decision on Amynteo unit for direction

 

The future course of the main power utility PPC’s Amynteo lignite-fired power plant will depend on government decisions concerning the country’s energy strategy, utility officials told energypress when questioned about the utility’s intentions following three upgrade investment proposals made for Amynteo by GEK-TERNA, Mytilineos and Copelouzos-Shenhua.

PPC’s chief executive Manolis Panagiotakis is definitely interested in attracting an investor to take on the environmental upgrade of the ageing Amynteo facility, which would spare the utility of needing to provide capital of its own for the project, as long as lignite’s share of the country’s energy mix remains considerable, the sources noted. It is believed that a lignite presence close to the 19 TWh reached last year would justify an Amynteo upgrade.

If the annual share of lignite in the energy mix is limited to no more than 16 TWh then certain lignite-fired power stations will be redundant. Amynteo would certainly be sidelined in such a case. Newer plants and units included in a bailout required sale package of PPC lignite units, from which the Amynteo facility was dropped, would carry on operating.

PPC is waiting for energy ministry decisions on Amynteo around March, when they are expected to be revealed and forwarded to the European Commission, before deciding, the officials noted.