A decisive step appears to have been taken in a long-running and unfinished effort to develop a hydropower facility at Metsovitikos River in the Epirus area of northwestern Greece, a recent decision by main power utility PPC to endorse a tender awarding the project’s development to the Terna Energy Group has indicated.

The Metsovitikos River hydropower facility is planned to possess a 2X14.5 MW capacity. Terna Energy Group was named the winning bidder with an offer of approximately 14 million euros.

Work on an initial stage of this hydropower project, carried out by Mihaniki AE, began in the mid-90s and was completed in 2000.

Then, a second stage of the project was taken on by a three-member consortium comprised of Vioter, Edrasi Psallidas and Proodeftiki. This team managed to complete just 31 percent of stage two, until January, 2007. The project has since remained stagnant.

In December, 2014, PPC decided to nullify an intermediate tender, citing bank guarantee issues as the motive behind the decision.

PPC hopes the project will be completed within 28 months of the new agreement’s signing, as stated in the project’s terms.