Viohalco third energy-intensive producer to leave PPC

Metal processing company Viohalco, one of Greece’s biggest electricity consumers, has become the third industrial producer to move away from power utility PPC after establishing an electricity supply agreement with independent producer Heron, company sources have told energypress.

Viohalco’s decision to part ways with PPC as its supplier follows departures by ELPE (Hellenic Petroleum) and the Mytilineos group’s Aluminium of Greece, though this latter company’s move away has not yet been completed.

ELPE was the first energy-intensive producer to leave PPC after the two sides failed to reach a supply agreement in 2021. ELPE ended up establishing a supply agreement with Elpedison, in which it holds a 50 percent stake as part of a 50-50 venture with Edison.

Aluminium of Greece, the country’s biggest electricity consumer, is primarily supplied its energy needs by group subsidiaries Protergia and Watt+Volt. The producer aims to have completely ended its reliance on PPC for energy supply by 2024.

An existing supply agreement between PPC and Aluminium of Greece remains valid but is the last following a 60-year association, a development aligned with the Mytilineos group’s green-energy goals for its production of aluminium.

Meanwhile, other major producers, among them some of the country’s biggest energy consumers, have reached advanced talks with PPC to establish 10-year, green-energy power purchase agreements, through PPC subsidiary PPC Renewables.