RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, plans to stage a second round of RES auctions towards the end of 2018 offering wind and solar energy capacities left over from a first round staged in the summer.

A total of approximately 193 MW for photovoltaic parks and 129 MW for wind energy parks still need to be offered in 2018 following the summer RES auction, staged on July 2.

According to a decision reached by energy minister Giorgos Stathakis earlier this year, in March, investors are entitled to 300 MW in each of the solar and PV categories for 2018.

The respective 300-MW amounts are available for wind energy parks with capacities of between 3 and 50 MW and photovoltaic parks with capacities up to 20 MW.

Thoughts by authorities to offer extra capacities in both categories at the second-round auctions, especially the solar energy category as a result of its large number of mature projects, were not actualized as legal issues would emerge.

However, auction terms could be revised to prevent single companies from securing overwhelmingly large capacities. This is a concern in the PV category.

A joint auction offering 400 MW for wind energy projects over 50 MW and photovoltaic parks over 20 MW will most likely be deferred beyond 2018, probably for early in 2019, energypress sources noted.

An auction for a fourth category offering leftover capacities concerning a submarine interconnection linking Nea Makri, northeast of Athens, and Polypotamos on the island Evia, a key RES producer, will most probably be deffered for early in 2019. Efforts are still being made to stage this auction within 2018, as was originally planned.