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April 6, 2025
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Greek renewables sector slams curtailments bill for not including compensation

Power network operators won’t need to compensate renewable energy producers in Greece for curtailments, according to the latest bill of law. It prompted reactions in the renewable energy market.

The bill, submitted for public consultation, received damning remarks from the Hellenic Wind Energy Association (HWEA or ELETAEN) and various other bodies and corporations for the provisions regarding curtailments.

The country’s two operators wouldn’t be obligated to pay compensation. It should be noted that last year curtailments rose by 277% and reached 3.3% of all renewable production in Greece. They are projected to reach new highs in 2025.

The issue primarily plagues larger plants including wind farms, as they have the technical ability to respond to curtailment orders from the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO or Admie). Conversely, smaller photovoltaic facilities connected to the grid of the Hellenic Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO or DEDDIE) have no such telemetering equipment, so they produce freely at all times.

Indeed, Greek authorities aim to make such systems mandatory in smaller renewables plants to be able to curtail them, to maintain system stability, especially during the days of Easter. If an owner fails to make necessary changes, they would be subject to a high penalty, yet to be determined.

Producers point to European law for compensation

HWEA expressed the belief operators should be exempted from compensation only if a proper framework is established that compensates larger producers for curtailments. In practice, it means any revenue collected from the penalties should be used as compensation for other producers.

HWEA: Producer compensation mechanism is necessary

The association added that compensation is obligatory under European law and therefore needs to be included in the regulatory framework.

“The only right way is for the government to conclude the long-awaited framework and introduce a specific producer compensation mechanism,” HWEA pointed out.

Cero Generation Holdings Greece said it is very concerned about proposals for IPTO and HEDNO not to be obliged to provide any compensation.

Curtailment responsibility shifted to aggregators

Another issue concerns the role of renewable energy aggregators, which represent groups of smaller producers in the market. Both HWEA and Elpedison said it is the operators that need to enforce and manage curtailments, and not aggregators, as in the proposed law.

With such measures, aggregators will face increased costs as well as the possibility of having their license recalled if they cannot carry out their new duties, the company pointed out.

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April 6, 2025
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Terna Energy to build solar power plant of 130 MW in Bulgaria

Terna Energy is developing a project for a 130 MW photovoltaic plant near Burgas in Bulgaria. The company, owned by Masdar, plans to connect it to the grid already by the end of next year. Recently it also reached landmark points in the development of wind power projects in Greece.

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co. (Masdar), which has high ambitions for its expansion in Southeastern Europe, relies to a great extent on its recently acquired subsidiary Terna Energy. The Greek company revealed that it is preparing to install a 130 MW solar park near the village of Vratitsa in eastern Bulgaria.

The project in the municipality of Kameno in Burgas province includes design and procurement, as well as grid connection works including a new 33/110 kV substation. Terna Energy Group said it is targeting completion by the end of 2026.

As part of the strategic cooperation with the former parent company, GEK Terna, its construction arm Terna SA was selected as the contractor, the announcement reads.

Terna Energy operates two wind farms in Bulgaria, with 30 MW in overall capacity.

With its recent share purchases, Masdar boosted its stake in the Greek company to 97.6% from 87.9%. The green energy giant based in the United Arab Emirates acquired Terna Energy last year.

Wind power projects in Evia progressing

In other recent news, Terna Energy received operating licenses for four projects for a wind power complex. The sites are in Karystos in Greece’s second largest island – Evia, also known as Euboea. It is one of the country’s wind power hubs and an important area for the company.

The Terna Energy Omalies subsidiary is responsible for the said investments, of 78 MW in total. They are part of an endeavor consisting of 11 wind farms.

The location for the biggest of the four, at 36 MW and with 12 turbines, is called Praro. The company ordered 3 MW machines from Enercon for all the sites. Molizeza 1 and Kalamaki 2 are for 18 MW each, and Kalamaki would have 6 MW.

Joint venture with MORE for Greece’s first offshore wind farm

Of note, the construction of wind parks in the Balkans has mostly slowed down. Moreover, Bulgaria has been at a standstill since the first wave of investments died down more than a decade ago, while Romania is struggling to pick up pace. Greece added only 125 MW last year.

Terna Energy is counting on opportunities in the offshore wind domain. In January, it joined forces with Greek refiner Motor Oil in the pilot project for the country’s first facility of the kind.

Motor Oil Renewable Energy (MORE) now holds 50% of joint venture Aioliki Provata Traianoupoleos. The project firm is tasked with developing a 400 MW offshore wind power plant on the Ionnian Sea between Alexandroupolis and the island of Samothrace. The two companies aim to complete it by the end of the decade.

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April 6, 2025
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Greece plans 4.7 GW of commercial battery storage projects

The much-awaited ministerial decree for zero-subsidy standalone battery systems has been published in Greece.

So far, Greece has provided support to 900 MW of standalone storage projects under three previous auctions. The new plan, prepared by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy, calls for installing 4,700 MW of standalone battery projects across the country, equal to the entire projected capacity until 2030 under the country’s National Climate and Energy Plan (NECP).

More specifically, 3,800 MW will be installed in the transmission network and 900 MW in the distribution network.

Investors will have up to 18 months to apply to the operator

There are also specific rules to avoid concentration and ensure a level playing field. For example, individual companies may apply for up to 250 MW of storage projects. In the distribution segment, this limit is set lower, at 50 MW. Including previous storage auctions and batteries that operate as part of renewable plants, each player may install up to 500 MW of total battery capacity by 2029.

The guarantee is set at EUR 200,000 per MW for the transmission grid and EUR 50,000 per MW for the distribution grid.

The ministry has also set a specific timeframe for the completion of projects. Investors will have up to 18 months to submit a declaration of intent to the operator. If this deadline is not observed or the anti-monopoly clause is violated, the letter of guarantee will be forfeited.

After the announcement, the market players expressed their satisfaction for getting a time frame extension, compared to the originally planned 14 months.

Curtailments rise further this year, storage needed urgently

Last year, Greece experienced 3.5% curtailments as a result of a rapid renewable energy rollout. Since the beginning of March, they have increased even further, according to the chairman of Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Companies (HELAPCO), Sotiris Kapelos.

Kapelos: Curtailments reached 20% at the beginning of March

As he mentioned during a conference on Friday, 13 March, “last year we had 12% curtailments during the first days of March and now we are witnessing 20%.”

Batteries are expected to keep curtailments under 5% by 2030, as long as the projects are implemented.

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April 6, 2025
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PPC begins construction of 165 MW solar farm with BESS in Bulgaria

PPC Group is accelerating its expansion in the Balkans by laying the foundation stone for its Colosseum solar power project in Bulgaria. The facility will have 165 MW in peak capacity and include a battery energy storage system (BESS), the Greek state-controlled utility revealed. The company’s investment plan includes Italy, where it recently commissioned the first two solar parks.

Public Power Corp. – PPC Group said it commenced the construction of a photovoltaic plant in Stara Zagora in central Bulgaria. The project involves 260,000 bifacial solar panels with an expected annual power generation of more than 265 GWh. It is one of the biggest investments abroad for Greece’s government-controlled utility, which is expanding in Southeastern Europe and beyond.

The Colosseum solar park will have 165 MW in peak capacity and include a BESS facility of 25 MW in operating power and a capacity of 55 MWh. The liquid-cooled lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries will support the operation of the photovoltaic plant and contribute to the stability of the electricity system, the company added.

A 33/110 kV substation will be built on the site, the announcement reads. The solar power plant’s estimated output is equivalent to the electricity needs of more than 45,000 Bulgarian households.

PPC has 550 MW in project pipeline in Bulgaria

PPC Group runs an 18 MW wind farm called Garda in the country and another 550 MW in its renewables project pipeline. The company’s overall online green energy capacity is 5.5 GW.

According to its three-year strategic plan, by 2027, PPC Group will develop another 6.3 GW of renewables in Greece and the region. It revealed that more than 60% is under construction or ready for construction.

First PV units from strategic deal with Metlen in Italy came online in December

In December, PPC Group said it launched the operation of photovoltaic plants Carcarello and Luxenia, its first two facilities in Italy. They have 20 MW and 12 MW, respectively, in peak capacity. It translates to over 60 GWh of electricity per year in total from the two solar power units in central Italy.

The production can meet the demand of almost 15,000 households. The contractor for Carcarello and Luxenia was Metlen, formerly known as Mytilineos. The projects are part of a region-wide strategic agreement for photovoltaics, for 2 GW. Another 160 MW of PV capacity is under construction in the country.

Greek state-controlled power utility is largest renewables producer in Romania

PPC Group is the largest renewable energy producer in Romania, operating 25 wind, photovoltaic and hydroelectric facilities as well as battery storage units.

Its subsidiary Reţele Electrice România invested EUR 240 million last year in the expansion and modernization of its electricity distribution network. The firm plans to increase the number of smart meters in the three regions that it serves to two million by the end of 2025.

Gas-hydrogen CHP plant in Kardia to be completed by end-2026

As for its home market, the Greek utility said in January that it started the construction of a high-efficiency combined heat and power (CHP) plant. The future gas facility of 17 units is within the site of the former Kardia coal-fired power plant in the Western Macedonia province.

The company expects to complete the EUR 80 million cogeneration investment by the end of next year. According to earlier updates, the facility will have 105.3 MW in power capacity and 66.5 MW for thermal energy.

The project envisages the use of a mixture of fossil gas and hydrogen. The group is building another gas plant in Alexandroupolis.

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April 6, 2025
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Greece’s IPTO connects to balancing energy platform PICASSO

The Independent Power Transmission Operator of Greece announced that it connected to PICASSO. It is the second transmission system operator or TSO in Southeastern Europe that joined the European platform, so now it can exchange balancing energy with its counterpart in Bulgaria. In addition, IPTO (or Admie, in Greek) has proposed the introduction of negative prices in the domestic balancing market.

The Platform for the International Coordination of Automated Frequency Restoration and Stable System Operation (PICASSO) optimizes balancing energy between control blocks in the Continental Europe synchronous area. Bulgaria’s Electricity System Operator (ESO) joined last month, but it was isolated as it didn’t share electrical borders with any other operational member. Neighboring Greece’s transmission system operator IPTO (or, in Greek, Admie), has just connected to the platform, so the two countries can now exchange balancing energy.

Denmark, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Italy are a geographically separate group within PICASSO. Lithuania’s Litgrid joined earlier this month.

Key step for common European energy market

By becoming the 14th operational member, IPTO made a key step in the process of formation of a resilient and efficient common European energy market, the statement adds. The PICASSO methodology and algorithm are intended primarily for the cross-border provision of secondary reserve so that the electricity grid’s operating frequency remains stable.

There are 29 TSOs from the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity – ENTSO-E in the project. Additionally, North Macedonia’s MEPSO, which has electrical borders with both Bulgaria and Greece, is an observer in PICASSO. The platform doesn’t include the rest of the Western Balkans.

With the latest achievement, IPTO and ESO can jointly benefit from the automatic frequency restoration reserve (aFRR). Romania has been delaying its connection to PICASSO.

The platform collects and rates all available offers for balancing energy from aFRR according to their prices, placing them into a common merit order list – CMOL.

PICASSO helping reduce number of balancing price spike events

The new method for calculating cross-border marginal prices on PICASSO has greatly improved performance as the number of instances of electricity balancing price spikes dropped, according to European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER). Integrating balancing markets across borders lowers costs and improves efficiency by allowing TSOs to activate cheaper balancing energy bids, the body explained.

In other relevant news, IPTO has proposed the introduction of negative prices in the balancing market in Greece of EUR 50 per MWh at most for one year, Energypress reported. The change would enter into force on allocation day April 10, ahead of Easter, a critical moment for grid stability.

The TSO said the limit should be boosted to EUR 15,000 per MWh after joining PICASSO.

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April 6, 2025
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Greece awards 188.9 MW for subsidized battery storage in final auction

Greece’s third energy storage auction has been completed with nine projects selected.

It was the final auction where the state provides subsidies to build battery energy storage systems (BESS). A total of almost 800 MW in capability has been awarded through all three storage auctions.

In the latest bidding, nine projects with a four-hour storage duration have been selected for a total capacity of 188.9 MW.

HELLENiQ Energy and PPC are biggest winners

HELLENiQ Renewables and government-controlled Public Power Corp. (PPC) were the biggest winners, with two plants of 25 MW and one 50 MW plant, respectively. The rest of the list comprises Amber Energy (18 MW), Plain Solar (7.9 MW), Enercoplan (25 MW), Arkadia Storage (10 MW), Heliothema (10 MW) and Ardassa Energy (18 MW).

The facilities will be installed in the Western Macedonia region in northern Greece and in the municipalities of Megalopolis, Tripoli, Gortynia and Oichalia in the Peloponnese region. They are the country’s lignite regions, covered by the Just Transition Development Plan.

The investments will benefit from a public grant of EUR 200,000 per MW and they must now submit a letter of guarantee for EUR 35,000 per MW within the next three months.

Average price rises

As for the average price, it landed at EUR 52,589.16 per MW per year in the auction. The lowest offer was EUR 43,927 per MW, by HELLENiQ Renewables, while the highest was EUR 58,773 per MW, by Plain Solar.

The average prices in the first and second auctions were EUR 49,748 per MW and EUR 47,680 per MW.

It should be pointed out that from now on, new facilities in the sector will operate commercially and get income strictly from the market. The Ministry of Environment and Energy has already published a decree setting the rules for the installation of 4.7 GW of new battery systems until 2030.

Investors are getting ready for future auctions. They will submit their applications to the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste and Water (RAEWW or RAAEY). Only last month, applications in the segment reached almost 1.5 GW, showing an enormous interest.

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