K. Skrekas: The energy crisis can only be addressed pan-European

“The proposals of the” 6 “points of the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to the President of the European Commission, but also the proposals that we as Ministers of Energy and Finance respectively have submitted to the Councils of Ministers are measures that can face the energy crisis”, stressed the Minister of Environment and Energy, Costas Skrekas during the plenary debate on the ratification of the three energy agreements.

“Greece is the only EU member state that has submitted proposals because a state alone can not face this energy crisis but it is a European problem and needs a European solution,” said Mr. Skrekas, addressing the opposition. that “whoever hides this dimension, is the one who tries to deceive the Greek people and hide his own weakness in proposals”.

He pointed out that the Prime Minister at yesterday’s Council of Ministers announced that in the coming days new additional measures to support households, farmers, small and medium-sized enterprises and measures for the new increases in energy prices observed in recent days.

Mr. Skrekas criticized SYRIZA for the lack of proposals, saying that the government has taken a specific way to deal with the increases in electricity, establishing – first of all European member states – the Energy Transition Fund and having so far from 2 billion euros through subsidies for energy and gas bills to consumers and businesses, but of course this is unfortunately not enough.

He described “SYRIZA’s tears and accusations that the ND government decided to close PPC lignite plants” as false, saying that “during the five years of SYRIZA rule, PPC’s lignite electricity generation decreased by 50%. From 19,000 MWh in 2015 it decreased “At 10,000 MWh. Eight of PPC ‘s twelve lignite plants were withdrawn before 2019.” He also pointed out that “the five years of SYRIZA invested 60 million euros for the maintenance and improvement of PPC lignite plants while the three years of the ND government have invested 80 million euros for the operation of the last PPC lignite plants to can produce electricity “. He also added that “if SYRIZA had remained in the government for a while longer and these few PPC lignite plants would have been withdrawn today as the necessary investments that were needed had not been made”.

He noted that even today when the price of gas has skyrocketed to very high levels, the variable cost for three of PPC’s six lignite plants was up to 215 euros / MWh, when the new PPC gas plants and the rest efficient gas units of individuals and some days and hours of the day have variable costs approaching 153 euros / MWh. This is the reason, he explained, that “PPC lignite units do not work fully for the production of electricity and other units such as those of natural gas or RES are preferred, which, especially these, have five times lower costs”.

Our goal, said Mr. Skrekas, is that in 2030 60% to 70% of the electricity demand will be covered by RES and he commented that “if not for the 5 lost years of SYRIZA the investments in RES had been accelerated, today we would have much less dependence on fossil fuels such as gas and oil and cheaper energy prices “.

The minister rejected SYRIZA’s criticism that “you allow filthy profits and excessive profits to producers and suppliers of electricity” saying that “PPC is the largest producer of electricity with a market share of over 65% and has no profits. In 2021 PPC will have a turnover that will exceed 4 to 5 billion euros, it will not make profits, it will have zero profits or maybe some losses, because when its hydroelectric plants or the cheapest electricity generation units are working, this “so-called PPC’s profit returns it to its consumers by making discounts on the adjustment clause to households, farmers and professionals. And so far PPC has allocated almost 800 million euros, supporting consumers as much as possible.

SOURCE: AMPE