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Norway’s Equinor eyeing Greek floating wind turbine potential

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Norwegian energy giant Equinor, formerly named Statoil, is believed to be examining Greece’s market opportunities for floating wind turbine investments.

The Norwegian Embassy in Athens, which has taken initiatives in this direction, plans to co-organize a seminar here in April with ELETAEN, the Greek Wind Energy Association, on floating wind turbines, offshore systems mounted on floating structures to generate electricity in water depths where fixed-foundation turbines are not feasible.

Through the event, the Norwegian Embassy will seek to highlight Norway’s experience in this domain and bring Greek renewable energy companies into contact with Norwegian experts. Greek government and energy sector officials are also expected to participate.

Despite the major potential offered by Greece, the local floating wind turbine market has remained stagnant since 2010. ELETAEN pointed out this lack of activity to the energy ministry in observations last December, during a public consultation procedure for Greece’s National Energy and Climate Plan.

The wind energy association called for renewed action on floating wind turbines, stressing the drastic cost reduction for this technology.

 

New wind turbine connections to grid rise by 7.2% in 2018

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A total of 103 new wind turbine facilities with a combined capacity of 191.6 MW were connected to the country’s grid in 2018, a 7.2 percent year-on-year increase, the ELETAEN figures showed, according to latest data released by ELETAEN, the Greek Wind Energy Association.

EREN, the renewable energy group founded and headed by Greek-French entrepreneur Paris Mouratoglou, has emerged as a new entry in Greece’s top-five list of RES investors with investments offering a total capacity of 210.9 MW, a 7.5 percent market share.

EREN, which recently established a strategic agreement with Total, is now ranked fifth, replacing Enel Green Power, which has dropped to sixth place.

The top-five list’s four other enterprises held their places. Terna Energy leads with 536.1 MW, a 19 percent share; El. Tech Anemos is ranked second with 285.6 MW (10.1%), Iberdrola Rokas is third with 250.7 MW (8.9%); and EDF EN Hellas is placed fourth with 238.2 MW (8.4%)., according to the ELETAEN data.

CF Ventus, a venture of the Fortress Fund, has emerged as Greece’s new RES market arrival following its acquisition of wind energy parks from the Libra group. CF Ventus is continuing to invest in the sector.

Facilities at old wind energy parks with a total capacity of 15.43 MW operated by PPC Renewables, primarily in Crete and the North Aegean, were uninstalled in 2018.  Work on their replacements has already begun.

Vestas continued to dominate Greece’s wind turbine supply market, providing an impressive 78.2 percent of all turbines installed in 2018.

As for the spatial distribution of wind capacity in Greece, the central mainland continues to be ranked first with 907 MW (32%) and is followed by the Peloponnese with 550 MW (19%) and eastern Macedonia-Thrace with 375 MW (13%).

 

More Peloponnese RES offers, bigger Crete-Athens link requested

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ELETAEN, the Greek Wind Energy Association, has, among other recommendations, called for new RES project connection offers in the Peloponnese ahead of the nearing completion of a new 400-kV line from Megalopoli to Antirrio.

The association’s recommendations were included in an ELETAEN letter for Greek authorities. It was contributed to a public consultation procedure staged by RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, for an ESMYE (Greek Association for Small-Scale Hydropower Projects) ten-year development plan covering 2019 to 2028.

ELETAEN, in another request, calls for authorities to seriously consider – even at this belated stage – a transmission capacity increase for the planned Crete-Athens grid interconnection.

ELETAEN hails the ten-year development plan’s recognition of the need to develop the system in order to facilitate major RES penetration and growth.

It also approves the plan’s priority for the interconnection of the Aegean islands with the mainland system. However, ELETAEN calls for an acceleration of Aegean island interconnections concerning the Cyclades project’s fourth phase, the northeast Aegean, as well as the Dodecanese, noting these should be operational well before the development plan’s ten-year period expires.

Clarification and improvement of measures aiming to end regional RES saturation in certain areas such as Trizinia, in the northeast Peloponnese, as well as southeast Peloponnese and the mainland’s southern territory, is also called for in ELETAEN’s public consultation contribution.

The association also requests more ambitious and specific planning for international interconnections.

 

 

ELETAEN: Evia wind energy park benefits worth €82m so far

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Wind energy parks developed and operating on Evia, Greece’s second-largest island slightly northeast of Athens, have so far offered benefits worth over 82 million euros to the local economy, according to a study conducted by ELETAEN, the Greek Wind Energy Association.

The ELETAEN study points out that installed wind energy facilities are annually  contributing 3.9 million euros to the local economy, not including job creation and indirect benefits.

A 3 percent surcharge benefiting municipalities and citizens is imposed on wind energy facilities.

Authorities monitoring the sector’s developments in the region believe that new wind energy projects currently being developed on Evia promise to multiply the benefits, the study noted.

ELETAEN based its study on data collected from most enterprises operating or involved in wind energy projects in the region – Rokas Iberdrola, Terna Energy, Enel Green Power, Protergia, Jasper Energy, Epen, Enteka, Enercon, Vestas and Siemens Gamesa.

According to the ELETAEN study, the total capacity of wind energy facilities developed in Evia’s south between 1998 and 2017 amounted to 218.7 MW at the end of 2017. Projects offering a further 28.2 MW had been built but were not yet operating at the end of last year, the association’s study added.

RES auction questions trouble ministry, date shift possible

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A flood of questions by prospective participants of upcoming RES auctions to offer wind and solar energy project installation capacities has troubled the energy ministry, which is considering delaying the auctions.

The ministry, RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, and DEDDIE/HEDNO, the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator, have all been swamped by questions raised by investors, a main issue being whether guarantees demanded from participants in advance will be returned if their bids ultimately prove unsuccessful.

As has been previously reported by energypress, the energy ministry intends to satisfy this concern and take measures enabling the return of guarantees to participating investors who fail to secure RES capacities at the auctions.

However, this will require a legislative revision. As a result, investors are hesitating to take the next step and submit applications by a June 5 deadline, now less than a month away. The auctions are scheduled to be staged on July 2.

Besides not taking up unutilized capacity that could obstruct other investors from proceeding with their projects, auction participants who have their guarantees returned may have RES production licenses revoked, meaning their project plans would be cancelled.

The energy ministry has responded to the overall sense of unrest by stressing it is well aware of the situation and intends to soon push through the required legislative revision. Even so, a slight postponement of the auction date is possible, according to certain energy ministry officials.

The objective is to provide appropriate conditions for investors and secure a high level of participation at the auctions.

“Very different messages will be projected if the country emerges from the auctions with an additional 600 MW of RES projects as opposed to a far lower level,” one pundit remarked.

The upcoming RES auctions have been split into three categories. One will concern photovoltaic installations with capacities less than 1 MW. Another will offer photovoltaic installations with capacities of between 1 and 20 MW. A third auction will cater to wind energy installations between 3 and 50 MW. A limit of 300 MW has been set for each of the two categories.

Meanwhile, ELETAEN, the Greek Wind Energy Association, will hold a RES investments conference in Athens tomorrow at the OTE Academy Amphitheater (Pelika & 1 Spartis, Marousi). RAE officials will participate.

 

 

Wind energy output up 12% in 2017, sector association reports

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The total amount of wind energy generated in 2017, both for commercial use and test runs, reached 2,651 MW, a 12 percent increase compared to the previous year, ELETAEN, the Greek Wind Energy Association, has announced.

Of this amount, 321.7 MW was generated on non-interconnected islands and 2,329.9 MW for the country’s grid.

Broken down geographically, 877.85 MW, or 31 percent, was generated on the mainland, 502.8 MW (18.9%) on the Peloponese, and 335.45 MW (12.6%) in eastern Macedonia-Thrace, northeastern Greece.

Wind energy facilities were installed in the Epirus region, northwestern Greece, for the first time in 2017.

Terna Energy was the country’s biggest wind energy producer in 2017 with an output of 530.1 MW, or 20 percent. As for the country’s other firms making up the top five, the Ellaktor group followed with 256.7 MW (9.7%), Iberdrola Rokas was next with 250.7 MW (9.5%), EDF EN Hellas was the fourth biggest producer with 238.2 MW (9%), and ENEL Green Power was ranked fifth with 200.5 MW (7.6%).

As for the development of wind energy installations, Vestas is the market leader with a 50.6 percent share. Enercon follows with 22.3 percent, Siemens-Gamesa is ranked third with 19.9 percent and Nordex is placed fourth with 5.4 percent.

In 2017, Vestas installed 47.1 percent of new wind energy facilities, Enercon followed with 22.9 percent, Siemens-Gamesa was next with 19.4 percent, and Nordex was fourth with 10.6 percent.

Late in 2017, wind energy facilities representing a total capacity of 550 MW were under construction. These projects are expected to be launched within the next 15 months.

A national RES production target set for 2020 is unlikely to be reached. New RES installations totaling over 3,700 MW would need to be installed between 2018 and 2020 if this objective is to be achieved, ELETAEN noted.

Wind energy installations exceeded 300 MW in 2017

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Preliminary data has shown that the total amount of wind energy installations made in 2017 exceeded 300 MW, which rates as the renewable energy sub-sector’s second strongest annual performance, ELETAEN (Greek Wind Energy Association) director Panagiotis Ladakakos told an event held to usher in the New Year.

A record number of wind turbine orders were made in 2017, according to data provided by sector firms, which sets high hopes for new wind energy installations in 2018, expected to exceed 250 MW, Ladakakos told the event.

Sector firms remained resilient and took investment initiatives in foreign markets without neglecting the domestic market, the ELETAEN chief pointed out.

Ladakakos stressed that the country’s energy strategy needs to focus on emission targets set for 2030 and beyond. He commended the Greek government for setting ambitious targets that place Greece at Europe’s renewable energy forefront.

The association’s chief noted that market players do not fear the renewable energy sector’s transition towards a new market model and RES auctions, but highlighted that careful steps need to be taken along the course towards the target model and, even more so, with the winter package.

Market officials have questioned whether a sufficient number of mature RES projects exist to meet new and ambitious RES auction terms requiring participants to submit bids for amounts exceeding the total capacities on offer by at least 80 percent if planned capacity amounts are to be offered. In other words, for every 100 MW offered, bids will need to amount to 180 MW.

Energy minister Giorgos Stathakis, who attended the ELETAEN event, noted that the wind energy sector will play a leading role in the country’s new energy mix.

 

Forbidding wind farms in Natura areas ‘unfair’, ELETAEN head tells

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The wind energy sector is extremely concerned about prospective RES site plan revisions which, given the limited amount of information provided so far by authorities, could lead to stricter regulations on permissible locations for projects.

These concerns were highlighted by Panagiotis Papastamatiou, general manager of ELETAEN, the Greek Wind Energy Association, in an interview for local business news channel SBC’s Energy Week show, hosted by energypress journalist Thodoris Panagoulis.

RES sector enterprises, especially ones active in the wind energy sub-sector, fear that Greece’s existing uniform approach for project site planning could be superseded by regional conditions.

Enterprises fear stricter site regulations. Papastamatiou, in the SBC interview, stressed that the current rules are based on an already-conservative framework of rules that were implemented in 2008. Any further tightening of these regulations would affect investments, the ELETAEN official warned.

Papastamatiou noted it would be unfair to forbid wind farm installations at Natura areas – – EU network of protected areas – given the fact that other forms of building and human activity are permitted in such areas.

RES sector officials are worried about Greece’s Natura-related restrictions as a considerable proportion of the country’s land mass is included in this category. Papastamatiou noted that roughly 37 to 38 percent of Greek territory at altitudes of more than 500 meters has been included in the Natura zone. It is these elevated spots, offering high electricity generation potential, that primarily interest wind farm investors.

Energy minister Giorgos Stathakis recently approved a regional RES site plan for Crete that forbids the installation of new RES facilities within the island’s Natura 2000 areas, prompting wider alarm in the sector. The ministry is currently seeking a consultant for the new RES site plan’s national framework.

In comments to energypress, energy and environment ministry officials contended that the national RES site plan overpowers regional plans and, as a result, the Natura restrictions for Crete could not take effect.

Terms for RES auctions, offering capacity for new wind farm installations, need to be further clarified, Papastamatiou stressed in the SBC interview. Technology in this domain has progressed and competition promises to provide benefits, including more choices for customers, and lower energy costs, he added.

 

Wind energy parks threatened by civil aviation authority restriction

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Prospective and existing wind-energy projects appear set to face Civil Aviation Authority restrictions over their distances from VOR navigation systems.

It is believed that a ministerial decision, expected to soon be published in the government gazette, will limit the number of wind park projects to five per 15-km radius of each VOR base.

A total of 47 VOR navigation systems operate around various parts of Greece. The measure threatens to halt the licensing procedures for prospective wind-park projects. It remains unclear how many projects, including existing facilities, could be affected.

According to sources, the Civil Aviation Authority has already reacted against at least one wind energy project, a development that has raised fears of multiple blockages.

ELETAEN, the Greek Wind Energy Association, is preparing to react as the sector’s growth prospects are under threat.

Wind energy installations in 2016, 238 MW, rank as second best

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The country’s wind energy sector gained an installed capacity of 238.55 MW in 2016, the second-best annual performance following 2011, when a capacity of 313 MW was installed, ELETAEN, the Greek Wind Energy Association, has announced.

The association noted that the wind energy sector ended 2016 with a total capacity of 2,374.3 MW, up 11.2 percent compared to the previous year.

Of this total, 321.2 MW concerns wind energy capacity installed on non-interconnected islands and 2,053.1 MW the country’s interconnected grid.

From a regional perspective, mainland Greece holds the greatest share of installed wind energy capacity with 736.7 MW (31%), followed by the Peloponnese with 453.9 MW (19.1%) and the eastern Macedonia-Thrace region with 298.65 MW (12.6%).

As for the energy companies involved, Terna Energy is the market leader with an installed capacity of 460 MW (19.4%), followed by Iberdrola Rokas with 250.8 MW (10.6%), Eltech Anemos Ellaktor with 238.6 MW (10.1%), EDF with 238.2 MW (10%) and ENEL Green Power with 200.5 MW (8.5%).

Vestas is the market leader in construction of wind energy projects with a 51.1 percent share of the Greek market. Enercon follows with 22.2 percent, Gamesa with 11.6 percent, Siemens with 8.3 percent and Nordex with 4.8 percent.

In 2016, Vestas developed 73 percent of all wind energy projects in Greece, Gamesa was next, installing 17.8 percent, and Enercon was ranked third with 9.2 percent.