‘Repower EU’ plan aims for RES growth in place of Russian gas

Repower EU, the European Commission’s roadmap for ending the EU’s reliance on Russian natural gas, features a key role for renewable energy, now not only expected to reduce fossil fuel-based electricity generation but to also significantly contribute to green hydrogen production, which is planned to replace natural gas in a wide range of uses.

The European Commission intends, through Repower EU, to accelerate the EU’s existing Fit for 55 plan, aiming for a 55 percent reduction of carbon emissions by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. Green electricity generation units incorporated into this framework are expected to offer annual natural gas consumption savings of 170 bcm.

Brussels plans to boost the EU’s installed wind and solar facilities by 80 GW to support green hydrogen production.

“Twenty million tons of hydrogen can replace 50 bcm of Russian natural gas,” noted Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President of the European Commission for the European Green Deal, during the presentation of the Repower EU roadmap.

Licensing procedures will need to be simplified for the development of new RES projects, the Repower EU plan stresses.

NECP needs revising, EU CO2 emission goal more ambitious

The EU’s level of RES investment objectives has been raised even higher following an agreement reached this week by the member states and European Parliament for a swifter reduction of CO2 emissions by 2030, reached after many months of inconclusive negotiations.

The agreement for a CO2 emissions reduction of at least 55 percent by the end of the decade, instead of 40 percent, as had been previously set, will subsequently require EU member states to revise their National Energy and Climate Plans.

NECP objectives concerning wind, solar and all other green-energy technologies will need to be reset.

For Greece, this development means that a 2019 NECP goal for the installation of 8.8 GW in new RES capacity by 2030 needs to be increased to over 10 GW, sources have informed energypress.

The precise figure will be determined by the proportion, or mix, of wind, solar and other RES categories to be included in Greece’s updated NECP, as each technology offers different GWh results per GW installed.

Greece’s NECP committee will soon need to proceed with new calculations and decide on a revised strategy.

The country’s revised NECP will also detail Greece’s updated decarbonization plan, including PPC’s commitment to complete this effort sooner by turning off its Ptolemaida V facility as a lignite-fired unit in 2025, not 2028, as originally planned. PPC’s chief executive Giorgos Stassis pointed out this change of plan to analysts earlier this week.

European CEO Alliance backs ambitious climate strategy

100 billion euros of investment to decarbonize their companies by 2030, a gradual introduction of a cross-sector CO2 price and ambitious phase-out dates for coal: These are some of the key points of ten top managers from the energy, transport and technology industries issued in a joint position paper. Thereby, the leading European CEOs are calling for far-reaching climate protection measures at the occasion of the seventh international climate strike on Friday, March 19, 2021.

The ten business leaders Björn Rosengren (ABB), Thierry Vanlancker (AkzoNobel), Francesco Starace (ENEL), Leonhard Birnbaum (E.ON), Ignacio Galán (Iberdrola), Søren Skou (Maersk), Christian Klein (SAP), Henrik Henriksson (Scania), Jean-Pascale Tricoire (Schneider Electric) and Herbert Diess (Volkswagen) are members of the “CEO Alliance for Europe’s Recovery, Reform and Resilience”.

This CEO Alliance formed in 2020 against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and the historic decisions on the European Green Deal. Their common goal is to make the EU the world’s leading region for climate protection while unlocking investments, driving innovations in tomorrow’s technologies and creating future-proof jobs.

The top managers published a joint position paper with ambitious proposals. They state: “We firmly believe that the EU Green Deal and Next Generation EU will put Europe’s innovation and business ingenuity to the service of the global climate cause, will kick-start a wave of investments into sustainability and resilience and will create future-proof jobs across the EU.”

The CEOs encourage European policy makers to take bold steps towards climate neutrality such as “continuing to pursue a standardized cross-sector CO2 price” and “setting end-dates for carbon-intense technologies”.

The CEO Alliance considers itself an “Action Tank”, working together in concrete joint projects: Cross-EU charging infrastructure for heavy duty transport, integration of EU Power systems, digital carbon footprint tracking, sustainable healthy buildings, e-buses for Europe, green hydrogen value chain and rapid build-up of battery production.

The aspiration of the top managers is to work with their companies across sectors to find practical solutions for effective climate protection. In doing so, they strive for an ongoing constructive dialogue with the EU Commission. In a digital meeting just days ago, the Executive Vice President of the Commission Frans Timmermans and the CEOs discussed the progress on the implementation of the Green Deal and the interim status of the Alliance’s joint projects.

Executive Vice-President Timmermans stated: “Making Europe climate neutral by 2050 is a huge challenge. The European Commission will propose legislation to put sectors like transport and energy on the right track. Our long term plan includes investment in charging infrastructure, battery production, renovation and renewable energy production. The NextGeneration EU recovery fund will help make this possible. Our goal is not any transition, it’s a just and fair transition, leaving no one behind. I welcome the CEO Alliance’s commitment to Europe’s green recovery and share their conviction that their companies have what it takes to build a sustainable future.”

 

 

 

 

 

Enel to boost hydrogen capacity over next decade, CEO tells forum

Enel Group CEO Francesco Starace, speaking at the recent European Hydrogen Forum, a major event gathering industry leaders, policy-makers, government representatives as well as the research community, noted the company intends to boost its green hydrogen capacity over the next decade.

“We are developing green hydrogen projects in Spain, Chile and the United States, and we have plans together with Eni for their refineries as well as with Snam and other players for other applications in Italy,” Starace noted during the Panel discussion. “We are very happy about the path the European Commission is taking towards the decarbonization of European society. This is something that, for us, is within reach and requires an acceleration in renewable investment. Furthermore, there are sectors like the cement, fertilizer and chemical industries, as well as transport by sea or air that cannot be fully electrified and need green hydrogen if we want to achieve a fully decarbonized society going forward. For these sectors, green hydrogen can truly be the answer to decarbonization. Technological development, however, is just in the initial phase and we have to accelerate its pace and study its evolution carefully in order to avoid mistakes in capital allocations and bets in solutions that need to be tested before large investments are put to work.”

In the hydrogen segment, the Enel Group plans to grow its green hydrogen capacity to over 2 GW by 2030. Enel plans to integrate electrolyzers with renewable plants producing electricity for direct sale and ancillary services to support further renewable penetration in the grid, with green hydrogen also being sold to industrial customers.

The European Hydrogen Forum, which is one of the highlights of the European Hydrogen Week, was been jointly organized by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) and the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU), in partnership with Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research.

The first edition of the European Hydrogen Week, a fully digital series of events held between November 23 and 27, was dedicated to the essential role of hydrogen in fulfilling the EU’s commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

The week of events was launched by the European Commission and FCH JU in order to match the ever-growing interest in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, alongside marking the adoption of the EU Hydrogen Strategy in July.

 

 

 

PPC awaiting Brussels verdict on lignite unit exit compensation

The European Commission could reach a decision by the end of November on an energy ministry request seeking compensation for state-controlled power utility PPC’s plan to withdrawal lignite-fired power stations ahead of schedule.

The ministry has requested a compensation package of 180, 150 and 200 million euros for 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively, for the power utility.

European Commission officials are currently closely examining the data and information accompanying the Greek application, energypress sources informed.

At best, a decision could be delivered in approximately three weeks, the sources estimated, adding that the Greek request has been favorably received.

Last May, the European Commission released a 52.5 million-euro compensation package to the Netherlands for the country’s premature closure of its Hemweg coal-fired facilities.

Greek officials had initially sought, quite some time ago, the approval of a cost recovery mechanism for PPC’s lignite-fired units, implemented in Germany as a strategic reserve capacity.

This proved too complex, prompting Greek officials to shift their focus onto the current compensation request for the country’s effort to decarbonize.

The European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager declared, in May, when the Hemweg compensation bid was approved, that EU member states must be compensated for their decarbonization efforts, adding that the Dutch compensation amount does not cause European market distortions.

PPC’s lignite unit losses are reported to have reached 300 million euros last year. The utility is seeking to limit such losses by closing such units sooner than planned.

PPC has announced its Megalopoli III facility will be shut down six months earlier, in the first half of 2021 instead of early 2022. If accomplished, this closure will represent PPC’s second PPC lignite unit withdrawal following Amynteo, closed down in May.

The utility intends to push for a swifter withdrawal of all other lignite-fired units, except Ptolemaida V.

Cross-industry climate change effort emphasized by CEO Alliance

The CEO of multinational power company Enel, Francesco Starace,  and chief executives from eleven European companies, have joined forces for a zero-carbon future and a more resilient Europe, Enel has announced in a statement.

The European Union is committed to net zero emissions by 2050, which is in line with the CEO Alliance companies’ own decarbonization strategies, the statement noted.

All members support the Paris 2050 goals, the EU Green Deal and the ambition to raise EU climate targets. They represent different industries, generate a combined 600 billion euros in annual revenues and employ 1.7 million people. The CEO Alliance channels their decarbonization efforts: it connects sectors and strategies, identifies potential for collaboration, and fosters projects and investments for a sustainable economy and society.

At its inaugural meeting in Stuttgart, the cross-industry alliance underscored: “The climate targets of the European Union are feasible. Our industries do not block, but rather foster the shift toward a carbon-neutral economy. We see growth potential for all industries in the long run. If we manage this historic transformation successfully, sustainable development and new future-proof jobs will be the result. Together, we will support all efforts to reach a social consensus for more sustainability.”

With yesterday’s start, the CEO Alliance becomes an association of action that unites corporate strategies, industries and societies on the road to a carbon-neutral Europe.

All members believe the new climate targets of the European Commission, envisaging emission reductions of 55% by 2030, are manageable.

On the industry side, the CEO Alliance members have already pledged to invest more than 100 billion euros in their respective decarbonization roadmaps over the next years to help reach these targets.

Every member has defined its own strategy to address decarbonization, by reducing carbon emissions across the relevant value chains and by offering sustainable products and services to customers. For reaching the respective CO2 targets, each member and each sector is dependent on other members and sectors, which especially calls for cross-sector activities.

Collaboration potential of the Alliance was identified in six fields: in energy systems, renewable power generation must be scaled up rapidly and power grids must be modernized. In terms of mobility and transport, the EV charging infrastructure must be expanded and the low-carbon transport or shipping of goods intensified. Zero-impact production – in particular for renewable power generation components – and sustainable battery production are key aspects in manufacturing and industrial processes. In terms of buildings and urban environments, the focus is on zero-emission offices and sustainable green city planning. In regard to new business models, the focus is on carbon tracking with digital technologies in the supply chain. The field of sustainable finance will also offer new opportunities.

The members also agree that the transformation towards a net-zero carbon future needs to be based on a broad public consensus. The CEO Alliance is willing to contribute to this consensus, and to establish a social contract, by intensifying the dialogue between stakeholders from the private sector, public sector and civil society. At the same time, the members call on political leaders to create the necessary political support and incentives. At the inaugural meeting, the dialogue started with a discussion with Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President of the European Commission.

The CEO Alliance is convinced that ambitious decarbonization and cross-sector collaboration require ambitious and cross-sector policy frameworks, for example carbon pricing with a minimum floor price in the EU Emissions Trading System, a reform of the energy taxation system, and driving demand for sustainable, innovative and digital solutions, among other things by using renewal schemes, public procurement and investments.

The CEO Alliance represents members from key industry sectors: ABB, AkzoNobel, Eon, Enel, Iberdrola, A.P. Møller Maersk, Philips, SAP, Scania, Schneider Electric, Siemens and Volkswagen.

Following an initial joint letter to the European Commission in June 2020, the first face-to-face meeting underscored the commitment to act fast and to recognize the urgency of the necessary transformation for future competitiveness.

Roads, buildings, telethermal units among post-lignite ideas

Crucial road and building projects, as well as telethermal units for the Florina, Amynteo, Eordea and Kozani areas in northern Greece are among 116 project investment proposals worth 1.14 billion euros that have been submitted by municipalities, regional authorities and universities to the government’s special transition program for the decarbonization effort.

It is understood that out of the 116 proposals, only those corresponding to objectives set by the government plan, aiming to support employment, social cohesion, entrepreneurship and green energy, among other domains, and which can be completed within the next three years, will be approved.

Energy minister Costis Hatzidakis made reference to the number of investment proposals forwarded and their total worth at a conference last Friday, the Athens Investment Forum, without going into great detail.

The special transition program, scheduled for 2021 to 2023, is being assembled based on the capabilities of the EU’s National Strategic Reference Framework (2014-2020); REACT-EU (Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe), contributing to a green, digital and resilient recovery of the economy; as well as other funds.

Projects worth a total of 250 million euros could be inducted into the special transition program, according to an initial estimate.

EU recovery fund compromise cuts into JTF for lignite end

A significant contraction of the Just Transition Fund that has resulted from a major compromise deal just reached between the EU’s north and south for a huge post-coronavirus recovery package has raised questions about the decarbonization effort’s financing and ability to progress smoothly.

A sum of 30 billion euros initially planned by the European Commission to be offered to lignite-dependent EU members states for their transition to cleaner energy will be cut to 10 billion euros.

A variety of post-coronavirus recovery sub-funds have been reduced in size, including the JTF, established to support Europe’s decarbonization process.

Prior to the compromise deal, a European Commission proposal had been made to increase the JTF amount for the EU’s lignite-dependent members to 40 billion euros from an initial sum of 7.5 billion euros.

Subsequently, Greece now stands to receive a few hundred million euros for its  decarbonization policy following an earlier estimate for a sum of 1.7 billion euros. The loss for Greece is worth approximately one billion euros.

The recovery package talks over the past few days saw a split between nations hardest hit by the virus and “frugal” members who were concerned about costs.

The deal centers on a 390 billion-euro program of grants to member states hardest hit by the pandemic. Italy and Spain are expected to be the main recipients.

It is the biggest joint borrowing ever agreed by the EU. Summit chairman Charles Michel described it as a “pivotal moment” for Europe.

 

ENTSO-E pledges for climate-neutral, resilient, innovative European recovery

The Green Deal represents an unprecedented energy and societal transition with a massive deployment of large-scale renewable sources, innovative low carbon technologies, deeper electrification, new electrical uses, and energy system integration. ENTSO-E welcomes the European Commission’s strategy to gear all policies towards achieving a climate-neutral, resilient and innovative EU. The European TSOs stand ready to do their part to help the green recovery.

During the COVID-19 crisis, TSOs have demonstrated their unfailing solidarity and entire commitment to deliver electricity to all EU consumers and vital services. This unprecedented crisis should not deter EU and national Governments to deliver on the Green Deal as it is core to the European economic recovery. For the green recovery to be a success, ENTSO-E recommends EU policy makers to:

1/ recognize the key-enabling role of electricity TSOs in the energy system integration. As system operators, grid planners & developers, and as market facilitators, TSOs can drive Europe’s energy ecosystem towards a “system of interconnected systems” starting with the development of a multi-sectorial approach to grid planning and anticipatory investment for both onshore and offshore networks.

2/ put electrification at the heart of EU decarbonization policies. Electricity is the dominant vector for clean energy and the electricity transmission network will play a central role in achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

3/ invest in low-carbon and fit-for-purpose infrastructures and their digital “twins”. Investing in the adequate extension of the transmission network and in the “cyber physical” power system delivers value for the whole society in terms of competitiveness, resilience and sustainability. Innovation is essential and especially in areas that will help most the transformation materialize.

4/ ensure a smooth recovery of the whole electricity value chain. The lockdown measures impacted the whole electricity sector. Risk of shortage in strategic value chains and of critical materials should be monitored and addressed. This is also about strengthening Europe’s industrial and strategic autonomy.

Investing in the transmission grid helps move the energy transition forward and concretely supports Europe’s economic recovery by generating direct and indirect revenues throughout the planning and building phase, and by reducing price differentials between regions and the overall energy costs. Policy makers’ and stakeholders’ support is needed to overcome barriers to the needed extension and upgrading of the transmission power network, notably when it comes to facilitating the permitting process.

ENTSO-E and its members are committed to put their expertise at the service of decision makers to turn the EU Green Deal into reality and believe that these recommendations will contribute to the climate-neutral, resilient and innovative recovery of the European economy.

Hydrogen factor needed for financing of South Kavala UGS

Development of an underground natural gas storage facility (UGS) in the almost depleted South Kavala offshore natural gas field will require a solution incorporating hydrogen into the investment, estimated between 300 and 400 million euros, which would categorize the project as eco-friendly and facilitate European Investment Bank financing.

As has been made clear by the energy ministry, Greek privatization fund TAIPED, currently conducting a cost-benefit analysis, will need to consider this prospect and plan for a storage facility holding hydrogen or a mix of this fuel with natural gas. Installation of carbon-capture and storage technology may also be helpful.

The EIB will stop financing conventional natural gas projects as of 2022. The bank may exempt from this rule projects limiting their emissions to 250 grams per KWh of energy produced.

This emission limit can only be achieved if natural gas is mixed with hydrogen, a prospect requiring higher-cost technologies but aligning the UGS with EU policies for full decarbonization in Europe by 2050.

The privatization fund has just launched an international tender for the South Kavala UGS in an effort to achieve EU funding for the project before a crucial EU funding deadline expires.

As a Project of Common Interest, this UGS is eligible for funding through the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility, vital for the investment’s sustainability. However, investors behind the project will need to submit their CEF application by the end of 2020.

The UGS South Kavala is intended to serve as energy infrastructure that will enhance supply security in the Greek market as well as  southeastern Europe.

 

‘Energy ministry policies crucial in effort to revitalize economy’

The energy ministry’s policies promise to play a pivotal role in the challenge faced by the government to revitalize the national economy following lockdown, energy minister Costis Hatzidakis has noted in an article featuring in GREEK ENERGY 2020, the energypress team’s latest annual publication covering the Greek energy sector.

Action is already being taken by the ministry through a decisive energy-sector agenda that aims for growth and is fully aligned with the European Green Deal, now a key economic growth tool throughout Europe, the minister notes.

New financial tools such as an EU recovery fund, worth 750 billion euros, according to a European Commission proposal, are designed to help the EU achieve its goal of transition towards a zero-emission economy through support for the gradual elimination of fossil-fuel dependence, RES growth and energy savings, the minister writes.

Greece is ready to make the most of this EU support package, effectively an additional NSRF funding program for the country promising capital worth around 32 billion euros, in order to achieve sustainable green-energy growth, according to Hatzidakis.

Besides decarbonization and RES development, other aspects incorporated into the energy ministry’s wider plan include:  electromobility growth; a third Saving at Home subsidy program for domestic energy-efficiency upgrades; reforms for greater competition, transparency and more attractive price offers in the energy market; reduced industrial energy costs; and energy-sector privatizations, the minister notes.

 

Colossal task ahead for decarbonization goal

Greece faces a colossal task – in terms of money needed, level of complexity and coordination – to reach ambitious post-lignite objectives set by the government.

The effort could require as much as 4.4 billion euros in EU funds, deputy energy minister Gerassimos Thomas noted yesterday, plus many more billions from the private sector.

Greece is entitled to a considerable sum in EU funds for the country’s decarbonization effort but, as a first step, a cohesive master plan will need to be submitted to Brussels. It will then need to be executed. The plan’s rate of execution will depend on the country’s ability to absorb EU funds made available.

An inter-ministerial committee involving seven ministers and deputies and established to oversee the entire effort will stage its inaugural meeting today.

A collective effort will need to be made involving teamwork of at least five ministries (finance, environment & energy, development, interior and agricultural development), two regional authorities (west Macedonia and Peloponnese), and no less than four municipalities (Florina, Kozani, Amynteo and Megalopoli). The local economies of these regions are lignite-dependent at present.

A national action plan must now be swiftly prepared. Its specific project proposals will then need to be tabled to the European Commission for approval before any investment activity can commence.

Personnel retraining, heightened research activity and development of new technologies are other necessities.

 

PPC coal unit losses €596m in ’19, 80% of EU units in the red

Power utility PPC’s lignite-fired power stations are projected to incur losses totaling 596 million euros this year, while four in five EU coal generators are no longer profitable and could lose 6.6 billion euros in 2019, according to a latest report by Carbon Tracker, an independent financial think tank.

In its report, titled “Apocoalypse Now” and released today, Carbon Tracker urges  policymakers and investors to plan for full dercarbonization by 2030 as the coal-generating sector will no longer be sustainable if not heavily subsidized.

European coal generators are losing considerable amounts owing to relentless competition from RES sources, as a result of continual cost reductions of wind and solar generation, as well as gas, noted Matthew Gray, Carbon Tracker’s head of power and utilities.

Energy deputy in Brussels electricity market talks, NOME auctions end near

Deputy energy minister Gerassimos Thomas, representing Greece at tomorrow’s council of EU energy ministers in Brussels, where climate change targets between 2030 and 2050 will be discussed, intends to combine the visit with a series of meetings with European Commission energy and competition officials for talks on latest government plans striving for greater competition in Greece’s electricity market.

Talks concerning the Greek government’s plans to intensify electricity market competition have yet to officially commence, as was noted just days ago by recently appointed energy minister Costis Hatzidakis. He is preparing for his first meeting with the country’s lender representatives in Athens this Wednesday.

The government’s electricity market agenda is comprised of five key measures – swifter decarbonization; partial privatization of distribution network operator DEDDIE/HEDNO; power utility PPC’s detachment from Greek State bailout-related procedures; greater emphasis on renewable energy; and termination of NOME auctions.

The measure abolishing NOME auctions will be submitted to Greek Parliament within the next few days, Hatzidakis, the energy minister, told local media yesterday. The plan will be attached to a multi-bill for development, now undergoing public consultation, sources informed.

NOME auctions were introduced in Greece about three years ago to offer PPC rivals lower-cost wholesale electricity. Hatzidakis argues the auctions ended up forcing the power utility to offer below-cost electricity, inflicting an accumulation of financial damage worth approximately 600 million euros.

At the council of EU energy ministers in Brussels tomorrow, his deputy, Thomas, will present the Greek government’s ambitious agenda for cleaner energy.

He also plans to hold talks with Finnish minister of economic affairs Katri Kulumni, Spain’s energy minister José Dominguez Abascal, and Italy’s economic development minister Stefano Patuanelli, amongst others, sources informed.

Deputy to present more ambitious national energy plan at EU meeting

Deputy energy minister Gerassimos Thomas, an advocate of further RES penetration and complete decarbonization in Europe by 2050, will present a revised national package of cleaner energy proposals and more ambitious RES targets at a council of EU energy ministers in Finland on September 24, ministry associates have informed.

The ministers will meet to update National Energy and Climate Plan targets for 2030 at the Finnish meeting next week, in preparation for an EU summit in mid-October to focus on longer-term climate change targets between 2030 and 2050.

Thomas, until recently the Deputy Director-General at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy, is expected to present a Greek package based on three key aspects in Finland next week.

One will concern swifter market decarbonization through the withdrawal of lignite-fired power stations. Another will call for a RES market share increase to 35 percent from a previous target of 31 percent. A brief summary on how this increase can be achieved will be presented at next week’s meeting. The plan’s third aspect entails energy efficiency improvement and greenhouse gas emission reductions.

It is believed the deputy minister will also present – as a wider and supportive fourth tool – a proposal for the establishment of an improved institutional framework in support of further energy storage and, by extension, more effective RES penetration of the energy mix.

RAE energy storage support framework plan by end of year

A new energy storage support framework aiming to foster renewable energy growth is being prepared by RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, and should be completed by the end of the year, the authority’s chief executive Nikos Boulaxis has told the Thessaloniki International Fair.

“The future of renewable energy is linked to the ability to store it. RES growth and  decarbonization cannot be achieved without storage and strong interconnections,” Boulaxis noted.

The RAE boss underlined storage system development is vital for the non-interconnected islands as this would encourage RES installations prior to the completion of grid interconnection projects and also offer support to the interconnections.

The energy storage plan has already undergone public consultation. RAE is now working on shaping its proposal in collaboration with the energy ministry, responsible for any legislative revisions to be needed.

Also, the plan will soon be discussed with the European Commission for approval details concerning state aid as well as its target model compatibility.

New gas-fired units reshaping electricity generation sector

Independent electricity producers, sensing opportunities, are reshaping the sector by planning the development of new gas-fired power stations to replace the power utility PPC’s outgoing lignite-fired units. The independent producers are even replacing power stations of their own, launched about 15 years ago, as part of the overall drive.

The country’s required withdrawal of old lignite-fired power stations operated by state-controlled PPC, as well as the implementation of the target model, beginning in the summer of 2020 with a link of the Greek and Italian electricity markets, followed by a Bulgarian link as a second stage, have been cited as the two main factors bringing about this change of scene in the electricity production sector.

The independent producers GEK TERNA (Heron), Mytilineos (Protergia) and Elpedison, as well as new arrivals such as the Copelouzos and Karatzis groups, have all expressed an interest to acquire licenses for the development of new power stations.

PPC, heavily reliant on lignite-based production, is gradually losing grip of its dominance in the electricity generation sector.

Pushed higher by the EU’s environmental policy, rising CO2 emission right costs, now nearing 30 euros per ton after being worth approximately 5 euros per ton a year-and-a-half ago, are a key factor in the developments.

PPC’s CO2-related costs rose to 279.5 million euros in 2018 from 141.6 million euros a year earlier.

Elections, EuroAsia case to delay Crete link tender approval

Greece’s upcoming elections on July 7 and legal action pursued by EuroAsia Interconnector stand in the way of a decision by RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, to approve the terms of a competition offering investors a minority stake of up to 39 percent in Ariadne Interconnection, a subsidiary established by power grid operator IPTO for the development of a grid interconnection project to link Crete with Athens.

The RAE decision was expected any day now, but these two factors will delay the announcement for a latter date, sources at IPTO have informed.

Euroasia Interconnector, a consortium of Cypriot interests heading a wider PCI-status Greek-Cypriot-Israeli electricity grid connection, has reacted as IPTO has taken control of the project’s Crete-Athens segment.

The consortium has submitted a case to Greece’s Authority for the Examination of Preliminary Appeals (AEPP) challenging tenders for the Crete-Athens link’s tenders concerning the project’s development (cables and transformers, budgeted at 600 million and 315 million euros, respectively).

AEPP has set a July 15 date to hear the Cypriot consortium’s case. EuroAsia Interconnector’s bid is not expected to succeed, legal officials explained, as this authority’s jurisdiction deals with companies protesting  tender terms that could exclude them from participating. Even so, the case needs to be heard and will contribute to the delay in RAE’s approval.

The Athens-Crete grid interconnection is urgently needed as electricity demand on the island is increasing while high-polluting units operating on Crete will soon need to be withdrawn as part of the EU’s environmental policy.

IPTO has committed itself to delivering the Athens-Crete link by the end of 2022.

 

Brussels CAT restriction a setback for Ptolemaida V

The European Commission has announced tough CAT remuneration mechanism restrictions for lignite-based power stations, effective as of July 4, a major setback for the CAT eligibility prospects of power utility PPC’s Ptolemaida V unit, now being developed.

According to some sources, the new capacity mechanism restrictions, announced in the Official Journal of the European Union last Friday, end all CAT qualification hopes for Ptolemaida V.

Despite this latest unfavorable development, state-controlled PPC and the energy ministry have remained optimistic and contend hope remains under certain conditions.

Power stations emitting over 550 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour will no longer be eligible for the capacity mechanism, according to the new restrictions.

Greek Parliament recently ratified a related energy ministry bill without prior EU approval.

Capacity mechanisms have been used by EU member states to fund electricity generation that may not be cost-effective or as clean as renewable power but is needed to guarantee supply during periods of peak demand.

Ministries to extend Kardia unit time limits, EC stance unclear

The energy and economy ministries are set, any day now, to deliver a joint ministerial decision offering an operating time extension for the main power utility PPC’s lignite-fired Kardia III and IV power stations from a current 17,500-hour limit to 32,000 hours.

The decision will not make specific reference to the Kardia facility but will note that an operating extension to 32,000 hours will be permitted for units offering telethermal services to surrounding regions.

For quite some time now, energy ministry officials have been negotiating the matter with the European Commission but it remains unclear if Brussels will offer its  consent for the two Kardia unit extensions.

This specification frames Kardia III and IV and satisfies a long-standing request by residents of Ptolemaida, in the country’s north, for a lifetime extension of the units as the wider region’s heating depends on them in the winter.

Energy minister Giorgos Stathakis and state-controlled PPC’s chief executive Manolis Panagiotakis had both promised residents, power station employees and local MPs that an extension would be granted.

The government recently called for snap elections on July 7.

More recently, the energy ministry has expressed increased confidence of an approval despite the strict terms of the EU’s debarbonization policy.

 

 

 

RES-focused Ellaktor in talks for sale of its Elpedison stake

The Ellaktor group has reached an advanced stage in talks with foreign investors interested in acquiring its 22.74 percent stake in electricity producer and supplier Elpedison, sources have informed, a reflection of the corporate group’s intensifying focus on the renewable energy sector.

Last December, the Ellaktor group took over listed wind energy subsidiary El. Tech. Anemos, Greece’s second biggest renewable energy company, as part of a strategy to bolster its position in the RES domain and better adjust to the EU’s decarbonization policy aiming for a drastic reduction of CO2 emissions by 2030 and elimination by 2050.

The corporate group’s takeover of El. Tech. Anemos promises to provide additional cash flow supporting the subsidiary’s investment plan.

The brothers Anastasios and Dimitris Kallitsantsis, who took over the Ellaktor group’s helm last July following a tumultuous battle between the group’s major shareholders, had committed themselves, as a key strategy, to not selling the group’s stake in El. Tech. Anemos but, on the contrary, strengthen the group’s standing in the renewable energy sector.

ELPE (Hellenic Petroleum) and Edison – acquired by EDF – hold a 75.78 stake in Elpedison as a joint venture, Ellaktor holds 22.74 percent, and Halkor has the other 1.48 percent.