combined cycle power plant

RES project grid applications reach unrealistic level of 42 GW

Posted on by admin

RES project applications being submitted to power grid operator IPTO by investors, for grid capacity reservations, have continued at an alarming rate, resulting in an enormous and unrealistic wave of applications representing a total of roughly 42 GW, energypress sources have informed.

The applications concern more than 1,700 prospective RES units holding either producer certificates or production licenses and representing an overall capacity of 34.1 GW, as well as group applications representing 7.9 GW in prospective RES units, the sources noted.

In addition to these grid capacity-reservation applications totaling 42 GW, 15 GW in RES units currently under development have received finalized connection offers, while 10.6 GW in RES units are operating, according to IPTO’s updated ten-year development program covering 2024 to 2033.

This essentially means that RES projects representing an overall capacity of 67.6 GW have either secured grid reservations or submitted applications for reservations.

Quite clearly, a large number of the 42-GW in RES projects for which grid-reservation requests have been submitted will not be developed. The upgraded National Energy and Climate Plan for 2050 has set a 54.4-GW target for installed capacity covering photovoltaics, onshore wind farms, combined cooling, heat and power (CCHP) projects, biomass-biogas plants, and small-scale hydropower plants.

 

DEPA Commercial tender soon for PV parks totaling 495 MW

Posted on by admin

Gas company DEPA Commercial aims to announce, by the end of the year, a tender for the design, procurement and development of its first renewable energy projects, energypress sources have informed.

The tender will concern two projects totaling 495 MW, most of this capacity, 400 MW, for solar energy farms in Kozani, northern Greece, plus 95 MW for solar energy farms in Viotia, slightly northwest of the wider Athens area.

DEPA Commercial, which has shaped a new company strategy striving for vertical integration by also becoming an electricity producer, last year acquired New Spesconcept, holding a 222-MW RES portfolio, and North Solar, possessing a RES portfolio of 500 MW.

Besides its entry into the RES sector, with prospective solar energy projects totaling approximately 730 MW, DEPA Commercial also intends to partner with power utility PPC and the Copelouzos group in a new 840-MW combined-cycle power plant being planned for development in Komotini, northeastern Greece.

Also, DEPA Commercial, as part of its new strategy, has undertaken initiatives to expand its wholesale trading activity in foreign markets. This effort has significantly intensified over the past two years.

At present, DEPA Commercial is active in the Austrian, Hungarian, Romanian and Italian markets and has signed agreements to supply gas to Moldova and Albania.

DEPA Commercial, it should be noted, is the first Greek gas company to have become a member of the Hungarian Energy Exchange (CEEGEX).

The Hungarian market represents a pivotal gas trading hub in central Europe and is also located at the northern end of the prospective Vertical Corridor, a route running from Greece to Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary that will be created by interconnecting the transmission systems of these four countries to enable two-way transport of fuel between south and north.

Copelouzos to begin development of Alexandroupoli power plant

Posted on by admin

The Copelouzos group’s Damco Energy plans to soon start developing a combined cycle power station in northeastern Greece’s Alexandroupoli area with support from a major foreign energy company, not yet named, energypress sources have informed.

RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, granted a license for the project just days ago. The Copelouzos group submitted its application in December.

The facility is planned to be linked to the prospective Alexandroupoli FSRU by a company-owned gas pipeline, meaning Damco Energy will avoid transmission costs as the gas grid operator DESFA’s network will not be needed. This should offer the power station a competitive advantage.

Though planned as separate projects, the Alexandroupoli FSRU, an LNG terminal, and the Damco Energy power plant promise to establish synergies as one unit will support the other.

The power plant’s operating costs and production capacity, planned to offer 662 MW over a 35-year period, promise to offer grid dispatch advantages, a related study conducted by the Copelouzos group has shown.

The project is seen contributing to Greece’s wider decarbonization effort and the intermediary role to be played by natural gas in electricity generation until renewable energy sources can fully take over.

The Copelouzos group plans to complete the combined cycle power station’s development in 27 months, while its commercial launch is expected early in the second quarter of 2022, following testing.