Renewable Energy projects in Northern Greece are moving ahead at a fast pace and within schedule, focusing on the areas around the Thermal Power Plants of Ptolemaida, Kardia, Agios Dimitrios and Amyntaio.
Upon their completion, the photovoltaic clusters in the region, the largest ones in the entire Europe, will generate almost 3,150 GWh of electricity, a quantity corresponding to over 6% of the annual energy consumption across the Greek mainland.
Western Macedonia RES projects
Utilising the land of the former lignite mines of the Ptolemaida, Kardia, and Agios Dimitrios TPPs, photovoltaic power plants with a total capacity of 1,190 MW are being installed, most of which (approximately 90%) have already been constructed, while some projects are already in operation.
Upon full construction completion, expected within the following months, the Group will generate approximately 1,800 GWh annually solely from these clusters.
This energy will meet the needs of almost 450,000 households, avoiding, at the same time, the emission of 900,000 tn CO2. These clusters also include the company’s flagship project, with a total capacity of 550 MW.
Moreover, in cooperation with the German company RWE, the construction of 940 MW photovoltaic power plants in Amyntaio is also advancing rapidly toward completion, close to the Amyntaio Thermal Power Plant, capable of generating almost 1,350 GWh annually, meeting the needs of more than 300,000 households and preventing the emission of almost 675,000 tn CO2.
Significant investments in storage systems
An important part of the PPC Renewables projects is the initial installation of two Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in Ptolemaida (in the area of Kardia TPP) and Meliti. Energy storage is a big challenge for the optimal utilisation of photovoltaic power plants, enabling the storage of energy during the daytime hours (when there is a generation surplus) and its release after sunset (when there is a generation deficit). At the same time, they provide a valuable service to the electricity system, contributing to its stability.
These two plants, with a total installed capacity of 98 MW and a storage capacity of 196 MWh, along with their associated projects, are expected to be gradually completed and connected to the electricity system in the coming period.
PPC has already announced that it will invest approximately €940 million in the region for energy storage projects with a capacity of 860 MW. In total, these projects will create over 1,300 jobs during the construction phase and hundreds during operation.
Among the energy storage projects, the two pumped-storage projects stand out—often referred to as “natural batteries” that utilize two reservoirs located at different elevations. These include the project at the Kardia mine, with a generation capacity of 320 MW for 8 hours, and the project at the South Field mine, with a generation capacity of 240 MW for 12 hours.
In addition to the pumped storage, PPC Group will construct battery storage units with a total installed capacity of 300 MW.
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of RES PPC Group, Konstantinos Mavros, stated: “A few months ago, we presented the PPC Group’s overall development plan for the wider region of Western Macedonia at Kardia TPP. During this period, significant progress has been achieved in the development of the Group’s RES and battery storage projects construction, fully aligned with the set timetable. We are moving forward unabatedly with the completion of renewable energy and storage projects for a better and greener future. The development of RES projects marks the transformation of Western Macedonia into a hub for green energy and high technology.”
