DAPEEP

RES supporting surcharge now a competitive component of bills

Posted on by admin

The energy ministry is working on a plan to change the status of a RES-supporting ETMEAR surcharge included in electricity bills from regulated to competitive by having it incorporated into the pricing policy of suppliers, the objective being to reduce the burden of this surcharge for consumers.

The initiative represents part of the ministry’s wider effort to restructure the RES special account, remunerating renewable energy producers.

The anticipated reduction of the ETMEAR level is expected to be offset by revenues that will be generated by green certificates to be auctioned off by DAPEEP, the RES market operator, a plan taking its cue from a formula adopted in a number of EU member states, including the Netherlands and Poland.

Green certificate revenues could reach as much as 600 million euros per year, energypress sources informed.

Under the new system, suppliers will need to purchase a minimum number of green certificates in proportion with their sales, securing a revenue source for the RES special account.

DAPEEP will no longer need to collect revenues from consumers, instead collecting from suppliers through the new mechanism.

RES license simplification bill reducing steps from 7 to 5

Posted on by admin

An energy ministry draft bill carrying a second round of RES license simplification measures for prospective projects carries revisions designed to merge three licensing steps into one in order to quicken the overall procedure.

According to the draft bill, three stages needed to be satisfied by investors, the connection term process, installation permit, and establishment of an operating aid contract with RES market operator DAPEEP, will be carried out concurrently.

Until now, one stage has needed to be completed before the next can commence.

This revision will reduce the total number of RES licensing stages to five from seven at present.

Under the new system, the RES licensing procedure will begin with the producer certificate, which investors must obtain before applying for an environmental permit as the second step, and then applying for connection terms as step three. The fourth step for investors will entail establishing agreements with DAPEEP and the grid operator, while the fifth and final stage will involve obtaining an operating license.

The total number of supporting documents required by RES investors for the overall licensing procedure is being reduced from 91 to 54, the energy ministry announced.

 

Supplier overdue payments to operators reaches €350m

Posted on by admin

Overdue payments owed by energy suppliers to the country’s market operators have been on the rise since summer, now exceeding 350 million euros, a development that has prompted the government to consider implementing an installment-based payment schedule as part of the solution.

The sharp increase in wholesale electricity prices over recent months has had a severe affect on the cash flow of suppliers, putting them under major financial pressure.

However, it should be pointed out that the majority of this 350 million-euro amount owed by suppliers to operators concerns the power utility PPC and includes a considerable amount owed from long before the current energy crisis.

Power grid operator IPTO, distribution network operator DEDDIE/HEDNO, and RES market operator DAPEEP are all owed sums by the country’s suppliers.

RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, is now considering a three-part solution entailing:  provision of letters of guarantee by suppliers to the operators, to prevent any further rise of the debt owed; immediate deposits covering 50 percent of amounts owed, either in cash or through bank guarantees representing equivalent amounts; and settlement of the remaining 50 percent through an installment-based schedule of between 8 to 12 payments, depending on respective agreements.

RES operator given control of new Energy Transition Fund

Posted on by admin

DAPEEP, the RES market operator, whose influence in the energy market is growing, will be given control of the new Energy Transition Fund, a move promising to give the operator a key role in efforts to counter energy cost increases when prices are at exorbitant levels, as is the case at present.

A large percentage of the ETF’s revenues will come from CO2 emission right auctions, staged by DAPEEP.

Through its authority over the new ETF, DAPEEP will be in a position to manage state funds, including, for example, planned subsidies for natural gas bills, expected to be derived from the state budget, at least for the final quarter of 2021, sources informed.

In due course, DAPEEP, through the ETF, will also manage funds to be generated by other prospective green surcharges, including an expected expansion of the carbon emission rights system into transportation and buildings.

These new roles promise to further establish the place of DAPEEP in the domestic energy market.

RAE forced to reset Cretan market target model entry for November 1

Posted on by admin

RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, has reset the target model entry of Crete’s electricity market for November 1, a month beyond a previous date set by energy ministry legislation, to enable full development of information systems to be used by operators and their associates, and also ensure that consumers are better informed on the transition, the authority’s president Thanasis Dagoumas has announced.

This change of date highlights the fact that time had run out for the settlement of pending issues ahead of the previous October 1 launch date for a Cretan hybrid model, intended to offer protection against extreme fluctuations in the balancing market.

As previously reported by energypress, RAE, last week, requested updates from the operators (power grid operator IPTO, distribution network operator DEDDIE/HEDNO, RES market operator DAPEEP) as well as the energy exchange, on their level of readiness, technically, for the Cretan electricity market’s target model entry on October 1.

It can be presumed that at least some of these agencies had not completed actions required in their respective domains for a launch tomorrow.

Crete market’s target model entry behind schedule

Posted on by admin

Delays observed in technical preparations by operators for the target model entry of Crete’s electricity market have resulted in pending issues that could prevent next month’s launch date from being achieved.

The energy ministry has prepared legislative revision stipulating a launch of a hybrid model for Crete on October 1.

In response to the delay, RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, will request updates from the operators (power grid operator IPTO, distribution network operator DEDDIE/HEDNO, RES market operator DAPEEP) as well as the energy exchange, on their level of readiness, technically, for the Cretan electricity market’s target model entry at the beginning of next month.

RAE will reset the current launch date if it judges preparations to be at an unsatisfactory level. A one-month extension, for a November 1 launch, is possible.

 

 

Assessment of June cycle producer certificate bids by end of month

Posted on by admin

The assessment by RAE, the Regulatory Authority of Energy, of RES production certificate applications submitted to the June cycle is progressing and should be completed by the end of September, energypress sources have informed.

Barring no complications, such as overlapping RES property issues, applicants should receive related emails by early October requesting payment of producer certificate fees to DAPEEP, the RES market operator. Successful applicants will be given 20 day-periods to pay this fee.

A total of 743 applications for RES units representing a total capacity of 17.4 GW were submitted to RAE for the June cycle, the authority has announced. Solar energy units, totaling 302 and representing 12.8 GW, were the cycle’s dominant RES technology, followed by wind energy units, reaching 290 in total for 4.2 GW.

Meanwhile, RAE is preparing to establish a 35,000-euro letter of guarantee as a prerequisite for applications, this measure’s objective being to limit applications to RES investors with serious intentions.

The authority launched a brief public consultation procedure on Friday. It concludes tomorrow, paving the way for the energy ministry’s draft bill for the letter of guarantee measure’s implementation.

 

Non-auction PV, wind unit exceptions over at end of ’22

Posted on by admin

A recent measure enabling small-scale PV installations of up to 500 KW without competitive procedures for tariffs, under the condition that applicants do not already possess two projects of such technology, has sparked renewed activity in the sector around the country with thousands mobilizing.

However, for a full picture, this development needs to be combined with the fact that the measure represents a temporary window of opportunity for small-scale producers that will slam shut at the end of 2022.

According to official policy, as of January 1, 2023, RES units will only be eligible for operational contracts with DAPEEP, the RES market operator, if they have participated in competitive procedures.

This essentially means that old 500-KW PVs, wind energy turbines of up to 3 MW and equivalent facilities of energy communities, plus new RES units will need to have established contracts with DAPEEP by the end of 2022.

Though this represents ample time from a technical perspective, investors typically face big delays for connection term offers from DEDDIE/HEDNO, the distribution network operator. In most parts of the country, the operator’s examination of applications and eventual response takes several months.

Even more crucial for investors seeking to develop RES facilities without going to auction is the fact that the majority of DEDDIE/HEDNO responses are negative as network capacity availability is limited.

Applications for non-auction PVs will be submitted to an online platform planned to be developed by DEDDIE/HEDNO. First-come, first-served qualification criteria will be applied.

 

 

‘DAPEEP should manage PPAs platform, not energy exchange’

Posted on by admin

Preparations for the country’s Market Reform Plan, expected to soon be submitted to the European Commission for approval, have prompted a reaction from RES market operator DAPEEP, asserting it should be appointed operator of green-energy power purchase agreements (PPAs) instead of the energy exchange, as has been stipulated in the plan, now undergoing public consultation.

DAPEEP’s objection to the PPA plan, included in the Market Reform Plan, emerged at a meeting staged by RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, uring discussion on the road map for domestic wholesale electricity market revisions.

DAPEEP’s operator’s chief official Yiannis Giarentis protested that the operator has supported the RES sector’s development for years, being at the helm of this market for 20 years, but has now been sidelined as green-energy PPAs, to facilitate bilateral agreements between RES producers and industrial consumers, are about to come into the picture.

RAE will now examine various proposals and views before taking a stance on the matter.

PPC reducing debt to operators, but court cases still pending

Posted on by admin

Power utility PPC’s accumulated debt owed to market operators, which, along with amounts owed to contractors, exceeded 900 million euros two years ago, is now being brought under control, reduced to between 40 and 60 percent of previous levels on the strength of solid operating profit figures and improved electricity-bill collection records.

PPC is achieving a continual reduction of debt owed to power grid operator IPTO, distribution network operator DEDDIE/HEDNO, and RES market operator DAPEEP.

The power utility’s net debt owed to IPTO has now fallen to 50 million euros, from 140 million euros in December, 2019.

The corporation has been just as successful in its reduction of debt owed to DEDDIE/HEDNO, down 60 percent, but its reduction of debt owed to DAPEEP has been slightly milder, dropping nearly 40 percent, to 170 million euros from 270 million euros.

The debt figures may be improving but some time will be needed before the bigger picture is entirely cleared up as PPC faces a series of law suits filed by operators. The power utility has appealed many of these, but court hearings remain pending.

 

Unlocking Greece’s offshore wind potential – Challenges, opportunities

Posted on by admin

Greece’s attempts to develop its untapped offshore wind potential have stalled in the past, but renewed investor interest and government commitment to set up a sound regulatory framework has strengthened its prospects.

By Dimitris Assimakis, Partner, and Minas Kitsilis, Senior Associate, Reed Smith.”

Introduction

Since 2006, Greece has taken several different approaches to the development of offshore wind projects. So far, these policy measures have had few concrete results. Given the present ambitious national energy and climate plan for the period up to 2030, dictating at least a twofold increase of the existing renewable energy capacity, the immediate necessity for new capacity due to the government’s decision to cease the operation of all existing lignite-fired power plants by 2023, as well as the existence of certain impediments to the further development of onshore wind farms, such as the availability of land, the pressure from other activities, such as tourism, and the necessity for the considerable expansion or reinforcement of the grid, offshore wind is expected to start playing an important role in the country’s pursuit of cost-effective and efficient renewable energy prospects.

For several years now other EU coastal countries with significant sea fronts have developed offshore wind projects and so this could certainly be a successful approach for the country with the most extensive coastline among all Mediterranean countries and one of the highest offshore wind potential in the region.

Therefore, aside from certain technical challenges (e.g. steep sea-bed drop-off around mainland Greece and around most of the Greek islands) and foreign affairs policy issues (e.g. territorial disputes in the Aegean Sea), a clear national regulatory framework, which adequately addresses spatial planning, licensing, grid interconnection and economic support issues, is also required in order for offshore wind technology to deliver its significant potentials in the country’s power generation mix.

Ongoing structured public discussions with interested investors and stakeholders as well as recent policy statements from the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy are expected to result in an offshore wind-specific framework within this year that will enable the exploitation of this valuable renewable energy source also in Greece. Already, major international market players such as Ocean Winds (EDPR and Engie) in cooperation with Terna Energy, the largest renewable power producer in Greece, Iberdrola, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Equinor are actively involved in these discussions, while reportedly other international investors such as Blue Float Energy and Innogy are closely following the developments in the sector. Moreover, local market players such as PPC Renewables, the renewables arm of Public Power Corporation (Greece’s largest power producer and supplier), Copelouzos group and RF Energy are actively engaged in this process. These deliberations are conducted within a very positive momentum for the offshore wind sector, following the recent release of the EU Strategy on Offshore Renewable Energy and the great technological developments in the sector, especially with respect to the imminent commercialisation of large-scale floating wind projects, which seem to be the most proper offshore wind technology for Greece given the depth of its territorial waters.

Past approaches stalled

Until mid-2010 the generally applicable licensing scheme at the initiative of interested investors was also applicable for offshore wind projects’ development, licensing, spatial planning and economic support against transparent and objective criteria and a regulated feed-in tariff through a standardised long term (20 years) power purchase agreement with the energy market operator as offtaker and dispatch priority for the power produced. In this context a large number of licence applications for offshore wind projects were filed with the competent Regulatory Authority for Energy in Greece (RAE).

However, only two fixed-bottom offshore projects were licensed by RAE in 2012, one of an approximately 500 MW capacity offshore the island of Lemnos in the north Aegean Sea and another one of 216 MW capacity offshore the port of  Alexandroupolis in the Thracian Sea. On the other hand, most of the licence applications filed within the period are still pending assessment from RAE with unclear further development options in anticipation of the new offshore wind-specific framework.

Subsequently, in mid-2010 Greece introduced a special centralised planning scheme for offshore wind projects to be rolled out at the initiative of the jointly competent Ministers of finance and economy, maritime affairs, foreign affairs, national defence, culture, tourism, environment and energy by virtue of a new provision introduced into the Renewables Law 3468/2006 (i.e. Article 6A), which rendered the previous open licensing scheme inapplicable for offshore wind projects.

That rather unclear approach entailed the strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of potential offshore project sites before the respective projects were licensed by the Minister of Environment and Energy, instead of RAE, and before they were auctioned off for construction through an open public tender process (public works procurement process) against economic exploitation by the successful bidder during the concession period; presumably through some long term power purchase agreement with the energy market operator as offtaker against an agreed feed-in tariff and dispatch priority. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) and further site planning, installation and construction works licensing until the operation period (inclusive) would follow the generally applicable legislation for renewables, except for some special provisions of law for the concession of sea areas in favour of renewable energy projects that would be anyways addressed as above.

This framework also entailed a number of implementing ministerial decisions and presidential decrees that were never adopted as this approach was never actually pursued in spite of a SEA study commissioned to this end by the Centre for Renewable Energy Sources in Greece (CRES) and presented in September 2015.

New approach required │ key issues

Licensing framework – recent developments & challenges ahead

The recent review of the Environmental Licensing Law 4014/2011 in May 2020 (i.e. by virtue of Law 4685/2020) raised certain hopes at it was aimed at simplifying and expediting the environmental licensing of projects of any type, including renewable energy projects, as well as at simplifying the first licensing milestone for renewable energy projects before RAE. Offshore wind projects are qualified as ‘special renewable energy projects’ and may benefit from the above simplified licensing framework as soon as an offshore wind-specific framework is adopted. In effect, this licensing framework reinstates the previous licensing scheme at the initiative of interested investors but ultimately, fails to provide any coherent legal certainty as it does not explicitly repeal the rather problematic provision of Article 6A of Renewables Law 3468/2006 mentioned above.

So although the general environmental licensing and the RES specific licensing framework were improved through the adoption of Law 4685/2020, there was not actually any real value for the offshore wind sector from this legislative process, since two parallel and apparently, inconsistent licensing regimes are currently in place although neither in full force and effect until Greece finally decides whether it will go on with a centralised or a develop-led planning system. Moreover, the licensing framework in place does not really address what will happen with the existing two electricity production licences granted as well as the various licence applications that are still pending assessment under the past licensing scheme.

Apparently, the envisaged new framework should provide for a consistent, coherent and well-structured licensing regime enabling as well the performance of any early development actions from the investors, in the sense that they should be allowed, on the basis of an exclusive right, to enter into a specific sea area in order to perform wind measurement campaigns and preliminary field surveys.

Spatial planning issues

The Special Spatial Planning Framework for Renewables of December 2008 provides for wind power in general and onshore and offshore wind power in particular. Such provisions include generally applicable criteria, limitations and exclusion zones for wind energy and special ones for onshore and offshore wind projects. However, it is commonly admitted that the said framework needs to be reviewed to account for technological developments and acquired experience in spatial planning and deployment of renewables not only in Greece but also in the EU, including current best practices.

The Ministry of Environment and Energy is already working on updating the framework but it will take some time to achieve concrete results due to the technical and SEA studies involved. In addition, it must also be compatible with the regional and other special frameworks for spatial planning that are also under review pursuant to Part A of Law 4417/2016 and most importantly, with the still pending maritime spatial planning for marine areas in Greece according to Part A of Law 4546/2018 (as per the relevant EU Directive 2014/89) for the avoidance of conflicts. An interim solution may have to be sought in this connection as otherwise neither central nor individual planning will be feasible and legally sound against a reasonable time schedule and certain target capacity for offshore wind development by 2030 and beyond.

Sovereign rights and public international law

Greece has reserved the right to exercise all its sovereign rights under Article 3 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to expand its territorial sea beyond six (6) nautical miles, which is the current breadth thereof, up to twelve (12) nautical miles measured from baselines determined in accordance with the UNCLOS. Greece has signed and ratified the UNCLOS by virtue of Law 2321/1995. Recently, by virtue of Law 4767/2021, Greece has expanded its territorial sea to twelve (12) nautical miles in the whole of the Ionian Sea area up to the Cape Tainaron in south Peloponnese, while it is reiterated therein Greece’s sovereign rights to do the same with all other sea areas, including the Aegean Sea, being the area with the highest offshore wind potential.

However, given the historical tension between Greece and Turkey concerning the Aegean Sea, it is rather questionable whether Greece will finally decide to exercise such sovereign rights and expand its territorial sea to twelve (12) nautical miles also in the Aegean Sea, according to the UNCLOS, in the years to come. In this respect, it is reasonably expected that any development of offshore wind projects in the Aegean Sea will need to be limited within the six (6) nautical miles zone. Further, the establishment and delimitation of the Greek exclusive economic zone by means of valid and legally binding agreements with neighbouring states pursuant to the UNCLOS is still pending too, save for the recent agreements with Italy in the Ionian Sea and Egypt in part of the Mediterranean Sea south-east of the island of Crete.

Proper support scheme for offshore wind

The new support scheme for renewables in Greece introduced by virtue of Law 4414/2016 in line with the European Commission’s Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy for the period 2014 – 2020 provides for operating aid to renewables through a technology-specific sliding feed-in premium (FiP) scheme for the vast majority of new projects which is added as a premium to wholesale market revenues and thus tops up their market revenues in order for the operating aid to reach an acceptable level of support measured against a technology-specific reference tariff (RT).

Aside from small scale and experimental projects, since 2017 the RTs are set through competitive bidding processes (auctions) on project basis for the two mature technologies (i.e. onshore wind and solar photovoltaic) in technology-specific and technology-neutral auctions run by RAE. In the event that the wholesale market price of a renewable technology exceeds the applicable RT, the excess is rebated to a special account for renewables kept by the RES operator and aggregator of last resort (DAPEEP) and hence the operating aid contract is a standardised two-way contract for differences (CfD) between the applicable RT (as strike price) and the producer’s revenues from the wholesale electricity market.

The auctions scheme is expected to extend beyond 2020, likely up to 2024 and for a certain overall capacity threshold not in excess of 2.1 GW, in accordance with the relevant statements made by the Minister of Environment and Energy in mid-November 2020.  However, technology-specific auctions for offshore wind or technology-neutral auctions including offshore wind are not likely to be feasible for Greece in this time schedule. In the meantime, previous auctions for renewable electricity have resulted in applicable RTs for onshore wind and solar photovoltaic projects below wholesale market prices for certain time periods. Therefore, alternative revenue structures involving corporate renewable power purchase agreements (PPA) cannot be excluded for onshore wind and solar photovoltaic or offshore wind projects in Greece in common with other countries where such alternatives are already pursued for some years now in the onshore wind and solar photovoltaic sectors, and recently also in the offshore wind sector. However, such structures are hardly suitable or bankable during the early days of a new sector development like offshore wind.

Optionally, individual aid without an auction process is also possible for renewable energy projects (including offshore wind) exceeding 250 MW or clusters of projects exceeding 250 MW and sharing common interconnection with the transmission system according to the said guidelines on State aid and Article 4 para 12 of Law 4414/2016. Individual aid requires prior notification to and approval from the European Commission. An implementing ministerial decision is still pending (para 12 was added to Article 4 of Law 4414/2016 in end-2019) for all renewable energy projects or clusters of such scale and importance for national and EU renewable energy targets, but it is reasonably expected soon. This option is reasonably considered more suitable, especially for floating offshore wind projects, and certainly more bankable at the early stages of any new renewable technology.

Moreover, Greece could consider when developing its national recovery and resilience plan in the context of the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility possible priority actions in order to facilitate the development of offshore wind projects in the country.

Grid connection

However, unlocking the great wind potential of the Greek seas and islands depends on the development of some critical interconnections, some of which are expected in the short to medium term. The anticipated completion of the interconnection of the island of Crete with the high-voltage system in the Athens metropolitan area by 2023 and of all Cycladic islands by 2024 will enable the significant development of new wind power capacity on these islands but also in the sea areas around them covering a significant part of the south Aegean Sea.

Moreover, ADMIE, the Greek TSO, has included in its current ten-year development plan the progressive interconnection of all other major islands in the south-eastern and north Aegean Sea, such as the islands of Rhodes, Kos, Karpathos Lemnos, Lesvos, Samos and Chios by 2029,  covering therefore though such plan the remaining of the Aegean Sea.

ADMIE is actively participating in the discussions held for the formulation of the offshore-wind specific framework and clearly, one of the key issues which need to be addressed therein is the interlink of any offshore wind investment projects with ADMIE’s development plan and its role in the design, construction and financing of the necessary grid expansion and reinforcement works.

Strategic investments programme and offshore wind

Since 2011, Greece has had in place an investments facilitation programme whereby productive investments (private or public ones, foreign or domestic) which generate quantitative and qualitative results of major significance for the national economy (including other criteria on investment budget, employment creation, innovation and sustainability) are qualified by an inter-ministerial committee as ‘strategic investments’ and are entitled to one-stop-shop and fast-track licensing and development procedures, including environmental and spatial planning ones as well as land expropriation related ones and dispute resolution provisions.

Part B of Law 4608/2019 on attracting strategic investments aims at modernising, improving and enhancing the scope of application and the fast-track licensing and development procedures in favour of strategic investments. These new provisions include: special spatial plans on project basis; tax benefits (as individual State aid subject to applicable EU regulations); one-stop-shop and fast-track licensing within 45 calendar days per licence, permit, opinion or approval (subject to special EU law provisions and procedures, e.g. public awareness on environmental matters), and overall within three (3) years from the MoU between the strategic investor and the Minister of Finance and Development on the time schedules and mutual obligations; cash grants for research and development (R&D) projects, and a UNCITRAL arbitration clause for disputes relating to the said MoU. On the other hand, applications for qualification under the new programme can be filed until the end of 2023.

Greece’s strategic investments programme has facilitated to some extent the spatial planning and licensing of a number of investments, mainly in tourism and other commercial sectors including some solar photovoltaic and solar thermal projects of scale and clusters of onshore wind projects. However, it has been limited to licensing aspects thereof and it does not address operating aid or other economic support aspects. Furthermore, it captures urban or onshore (including seashore) spatial planning, but it does not capture offshore aspects and maritime spatial planning that is still pending as described above. Therefore, account taken of the end-2023 current deadline for applications under the new programme, it is yet to be considered in more detail how the new programme for strategic investments in Greece could facilitate offshore wind. A recent positive development though is the special benefit conferred now under the programme to innovative renewable projects, amongst which offshore wind projects, in relation to their priority for grid connection over other projects using more typical renewable energy technologies, such as onshore wind and solar photovoltaic projects.

The way forward    

Experience from other jurisdictions has shown that formulating a comprehensive and appropriate legal framework for offshore wind in any given country is a challenging multi-disciplinary exercise. Structured public discussions with interested investors and stakeholders are ongoing in Greece during and have been for the last couple of years. Specific proposals are also being put forward for public consultation by stakeholders like the Hellenic Wind Energy Association but also from major global offshore wind developers. The Ministry of Environment and Energy has also announced that it will present a legislative proposal for offshore wind by mid-2021 taking into account the particularities of the Aegean Sea and international experience in offshore wind industry and technologies. We are confident that the ongoing process will result in a comprehensive legislative proposal for an offshore wind-specific framework. However, time and planning are of the essence for long lead capital intensive infrastructure investments like offshore wind to materialise within a certain time schedule, e.g. by 2030, on legally sound and commercially sensible and therefore bankable conditions in order to pursue successfully the national and EU energy, climate and environmental policies.

 

Suppliers summoned to explain overdue surcharge transfers

Posted on by admin

RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, has summoned power utility PPC and six independent electricity suppliers to hearings for explanations on overdue surcharge amounts they have yet to transfer to three market operators.

The authority had initially requested related data and explanations from suppliers and has now taken a further step by deciding to stage hearings for PPC and two other suppliers, followed by supplementary hearings involving a further four suppliers.

The three market operators, power grid operator IPTO, distribution network operator DEDDIE/HEDNO and RES market operator DAPEEP, will also be called upon by the authority to offer data on the overdue surcharge transfers by suppliers.

According to sources, RAE authorities are examining a variety of surcharges, including network transmission, distribution network and RES-supporting ETMEAR surcharges, up until October, 2020.

These surcharges, included in electricity bills and paid by consumers as part of their electricity bills, must then be handed over by suppliers to respective operators within a specific time period.

Conditions have recently deteriorated for electricity suppliers, primarily as a result of considerably higher wholesale costs since November’s launch of the target model’s new markets.

Electricity suppliers contend that amounts owed to them by the operators outweigh their unpaid surcharges and, as a result, want accounts offset. RAE has rejected this request.

RES operator upgrading systems to curb bureaucracy for investors

Posted on by admin

DAPEEP, the RES market operator, is introducing a series of operating upgrades with the aim of limiting bureaucratic obstacles and subsequent delays faced by renewable energy producers.

Forthcoming upgrades include automatic tax updates, certifying no pending tax payments, for parties interested in developing RES projects.

The operator, as of January 1, has already introduced an online signing procedure for RES contracts and their deliveries.

As a result, the time needed by the operator to sign new RES contracts through the digitized procedure has been slashed to a maximum of five days from an average time of 79 days recorded in September last year, when the operator’s current administration took over at DAPEEP.

In addition, a personalized profile system offering investors updates on their monthly RES production figures will soon be made available by the operator.

The operating upgrades were recently presented by DAPEEP’s chief executive Yiannis Giarentis during an online conference staged by POSPIEF, the Pan-Hellenic Federation of Photovoltaic Producer Societies.

PPC debt to end year at €600m, down from €900m last year

Posted on by admin

Power utility PPC’s debt owed to energy market operators as well as project contractors has continued to fall, quelling fears of a debt-reduction slowdown during the country’s second lockdown.

The power utility’s total debt figure is projected to end the year at approximately 600 million euros, down from 900 million euros in July, 2019, a 35 percent drop in a year and a half, according to sources.

The company’s debt reduction is declining at an average rate of 18 million euros per month, driven by an improved collection record for unpaid receivables and better operating profit figures.

PPC’s payments to RES market operator DAPEEP, power grid operator IPTO and distribution network operator DEDDIE have all improved for a complete turnaround compared to a year earlier.

The power utility’s outlay for liquid fuels, natural gas, solid fuels, CO2 emission rights and electricity purchases, down by 678.1 million euros during this year’s nine-month period compared to the equivalent period a year earlier, has been a favorable factor in PPC’s improved results and debt-reduction effort.

PPC aims to further reduce its total debt to a level of between 250 and 300 million euros by the end of 2021.