Energy ministry seeks recovery fund support for many domains

Posted on October 5, 2020October 5, 2020 by admin

The energy ministry, seeking to ensure EU recovery-fund support for mature projects in key energy-related domains, has proposed their inclusion in a national plan whose first draft will be submitted by the government to the European Commission this month.

Greece is entitled to approximately 32 billion euros from the EU recovery fund, worth a total of 750 billion euros (390bn in subsidies and 360bn in loans) and established to counter the impact of the global pandemic.

Approximately 37 percent of the recovery funds will be used for green-energy development.

Energy efficiency upgrades of buildings; grid interconnections and RES initiatives, including energy storage; electromobility; nature protection; decarbonization; spatial planning for RES development; solid and liquid waste management; and smart power meter installations, a severely delayed project in Greece, are among the domains the energy ministry wants included in the national plan for EU recovery funds.

The energy ministry has previously sought support for some of these domains through the National Strategic Reference Framework.

A total of 130,000 efficiency upgrades of buildings have so far received subsidy support over a decade-long period through Greece’s Saving at Home program. The ministry is looking to significantly increase this rate to 60,000 upgrades per year through the recovery funds program.

Greece’s energy ministry will also seek recovery fund support for two major electricity interconnections – Crete’s major-scale interconnection, to link the island’s grid with Athens; and the fourth phase of the Cyclades interconnection – both being developed by power grid operator IPTO.

RES special account concerns raised in latest Brussels report

Posted on November 21, 2019 by admin

The European Commission, in its fourth enhanced surveillance report on Greece, just released, has raised concerns over the RES special account’s sustainability, noting it could be negatively impacted by the lowering – without a replacement – of an ETMEAR surcharge included in electricity bills and serving as the main revenue stream for renewable energy producers.

Simplification of RES licensing procedures, pledged by the government, and reforms in Greece’s Spatial Plan will be crucial from here on for green energy investments, the reported reminded.

Earlier this week, deputy energy minister Gerassimos Thomas assured the RES special account will end 2019 in surplus territory of 50 million euros, plus a required emergency reserve of 70 million euros

The Brussels report underlines the importance of green energy investments for Greece’s energy future. Green energy currently holds a 25-30 percent share of the country’s monthly energy generation mix, close to the European average, the report noted.

Greece’s total installed capacity has reached just under 17 GW, of which 3 GW is represented by wind energy and 2.5 GW by solar energy units, big and small.

A solar energy capacity of 143 MW, at 62.77 euros per MWh, and a wind energy capacity of 187 MW, at 67.31 euros per MWh, resulted from July’s RES auction, the report noted.

Administrative issues, such as the issuing of fees for production licenses that have to be paid during project delays that are not the fault of RES producers, are harmful to investment in RES projects, the report stated.

Enhanced surveillance provides a comprehensive framework for monitoring economic developments and the pursuit of policies needed to ensure a sustainable economic recovery in Greece.

Three bids submitted for crucial RES spatial framework tender

Posted on April 10, 2019April 10, 2019 by admin

Three technical firms have submitted bids to an energy minister tender offering a contract for the development of a national spatial framework concerning the renewable energy sector, a project budgeted at 120,000 euros.

The framework’s content of incentives and restrictions will be crucial for investors when deciding whether to pursue investment plans, said to be worth billions, or hold back.

EDP (Environmental Design Partnership); an alliance involving the Stelios Tsakiris and Geohoros firms; and Theorema Development Consultants are the tender’s three bidding teams. All three are collaborating with various specialists in the spatial, environmental, legal and engineering domains for this project’s tender.

Energy ministry officials estimate a preferred bidder will be announced before summer. Should the winner be announced in May, the new RES spatial framework should be ready towards the end of 2020, as it is scheduled to require 18 months to complete.

Market officials have expressed fears that spatial restrictions being promoted overtly and covertly could undermine investment plans estimated to be worth at least 9 billion euros over the next few years.

This ambitious projection has been made by ESEK, the National Council for Research and Innovation, the country’s supreme advisory body for the formulation and implementation of the national policy for research, technology and innovation.

Various restrictions could prevent Greece from achieving RES targets set for 2030, wind energy market officials have warned.

RES sector fears wind energy opposition within Syriza party

Posted on November 29, 2018November 29, 2018 by admin

RES energy players fear a wing of governing Syriza party officials opposing the installation of wind energy parks could influence government decisions despite the energy ministry’s apparent support for green energy development.

The energy ministry is currently preparing a tender in search of a consultant to be tasked with studying and preparing a new spatial plan for renewable energy sources, according to sources. The ministry is aiming to announce a preferred bidder by April.

Local authorities see the spatial plan as a move possessing potential for organized and well-structured RES development in Greece, in accordance with the country’s ambitious green energy targets.

However, certain local renewable energy players, especially wind energy investors, fear Greece could risk missing ambitious targets set for 2030 as the implementation of the country’s green energy plan could be hampered by various damaging restrictions – explicit and illicit, legal and illegal – being promoted and imposed.

Some of these restrictions have already impacted spatial planning frameworks of certain regions, including on Crete and in mainland Greece.

It is feared these restrictive measures will be officially adopted through the RES sector’s Special Spatial Plan to emerge through the latest initiative.