Gray zones with the RAE report on the super profits of energy producers

LAST UPDATE: 15:25

By Harry Floudopoulos

Questions are raised in relation to the study conducted by RAE on the famous overpayments of electricity companies after the analysis of the methodology made by the president of the independent authority Ath. Dagoumas, today in Parliament. As Mr. Dagoumas said, in order to identify the so-called over-revenues, RAE proceeded to compare the revenues that the companies had in the period October 2020 – March 2021, with the period October 2021 and March 2022.

From this comparison of the revenues, according to the president of RAE, it was seen how much the revenues were during the energy crisis and consequently the so-called surplus revenues were determined, which are to be taxed.

Only the disclosure of the methodology by RAE raises questions for at least one company, as informed by Capital.gr. The reason for the company Iron of the group GEK TERNA, in which the power plant at the time of the comparison was closed for technical reasons. Specifically, the unit of Heroes was closed from the end of summer 2020 until March 2021, a month during which it operated for only a few days.

That is, the unit of IRON in the disputed period of the comparison from October 2020 to March 2021 was closed, so it is logical that there is a significant discrepancy and increase in revenue in the corresponding period of 2021 – 2022, when the unit started operating normally and generate revenue.

According to RAE’s conclusion, the overpayments of the company IRON were estimated at 45 million euros, always comparing the period when the unit was closed with the period when the unit was open.

Market executives, on the occasion of this obvious mistake, talk about questions that are raised in relation to the conclusion from the first reading, while they are reserved as they consider it certain that there may be other problematic points.

The Capital.gr however, he contacted the side of RAE, which insists on the correctness of the conclusion. According to competent sources, the finding has taken into account the fact that some companies may have had zero or even negative revenues, calculating through other parameters the over-revenues.

In any case, market sources insist that even if the fact that the IRON unit was closed has been taken into account, the comparison is made on a wrong basis since it concerns a period (2020 – 2021) when the company was “clinically dead”. connected to the ventilator and a period (2021 – 2022) during which the company had returned to normal operation.