A plan prepared by the energy ministry detailing auction procedures for renewable energy installations, based on recommendations by RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, will be submitted to the European Commission for approval within the next few days, energypress sources have informed.

Greek authorities expect the European Commission to respond by delivering a series of approvals. One will enable the staging of separate auctions, divided up as sub-categories of various RES technologies.

Another approval should satisfy an intention by Greek authorities to exempt wind-energy facilities with capacities of less than 3 MW, small hydropower plants and other small-scale facilities from auctions.

Once this approval stage has been completed, the energy ministry will issue a ministerial decision containing various auction details, including the number of rounds and terms.

According to sources, authorities are considering the prospect of staging separate auctions for wind-energy capacities in northwestern Greece, central Greece and eastern Greece, as the wind conditions differ in these regions. This approach is expected to offer greater stability to the network and more secure forecasts of production levels.

The auctions will primarily concern solar and wind energy capacities, the proposals made by RAE have indicated.