The renewable energy sources (RES) special account deficit will widen to 190.64 million euros in 2016 from 82.68 million euros at the end of last year, LAGIE, the Electricity Market Operator, announced in its latest monthy report, delivered yesterday.

According to the operator, the drop in CO2 emission right international prices is affecting the RES special account’s revenues as CO2 right auctions represent a main source of income for the account.

Reduced electricity demand amid Greece’s ongoing recession, institutional framework revisions and their influence on the System Marginal Price (SMP) in the wholesale electricity market, as well as the slight RES capacity increase, are all proving to be detrimental for the RES special account, the LAGIE report stated.

As for new RES installations, the operator forecast capacity will reach 5,147 MW at the end of December from 4,778 MW last month in the interconnected system, a 7.7 percent increase propelled by wind-energy facilities. Their total capacity is forecast to reach 2,050 MW from 1,798 MW. The capacity of photovoltaic systems is expected to experience a more modest increase, to 1,855 MW from 1,807 MW.

Small changes are seen in other RES technologies, except for the biomass-biogas sub-sector, whose capacity is forecast to almost double to 90 MW from 55 MW.

Combined heat and power (CHP) production units are expected to increase their total capacity to 120 MW by December from 102 MW last month. Small-scale hydropower facilities are forecast to add a further 15 MW.

In the non-interconnected system, LAGIE expects a total capacity increase to 486 MW in December from 456 MW last month. This increase will be primarily driven by wind-energy installations, forecast to increase by 30 MW.