By Haris Fludopoulos
In 2021, Greece was in 8th place in the world in terms of the participation of RES in the electricity production mix as 32% of the electricity came from photovoltaics and wind, while if we add hydroelectric the percentage is close to 40%. In 2022 we will reach 50% while in 2026 we will reach the 2030 goal of 60% RES four years earlier, emphasized the Minister of Environment and Energy Kostas Skrekas during the greeting he addressed at an event for the large photovoltaic investment Cero Project Delfini. He added that the 2030 target for the participation share of RES to 70% is being revised.
It is noted that the 100MW photovoltaic plant in Drama is implemented by the Cero company in which the Macquarie group participates, the Australian company that recently acquired 49% of DEDDIE. This particular project is the first one financed by Piraeus Bank not with a fixed energy sales tariff but with a PPA contract.
The 100MW solar plant will produce approximately 150,000 megawatt hours, meeting the electricity needs of 30,000 to 40,000 homes powered by green energy from the project, while at the same time helping to reduce CO2 emissions while enabling consumers to have predictability in electricity prices.
We invite others to come and invest in Greece, it is a safe investment country with a reliable government, said Mr. Skrekas, who emphasized that in the last 4 years approximately 5000MW of new RES were built and connected, while for 2022 it is expected to be built from 1700 to 2000MW. From these investments we have saved natural gas imports worth 1.5 billion euros, said the minister.
In the context of the event, the managing director of Cero Generation Marta Martines Queimadelos emphasized that in addition to the photovoltaic in Drama, the company’s goal is to develop 3GW of wind and photovoltaic projects. We have just started, said Ms. Queimadelos.
It is noted that the project is the first in Greece to be financed by Piraeus Bank without having a guaranteed energy sales tariff but has entered into a corporate energy sales contract (corporate PPA). It is a great honor for the bank to have been selected for the financing scheme of Cero’s first investment in Greece, said Piraeus Bank CEO X. Megalou, noting that the bank is a pioneer in financing green energy in Greece and confirms this strategy with her new project Cero. Mr. Megalou emphasized that Piraeus Bank is expected to grant financing of 1 billion euros in new green energy projects over the next two years. He characterized the financing of the Delfini Project as significant precisely because it is one of the first to be based on revenues from Corporate PPAs.
The Corporate PPA contract has been signed with the Swiss AXPO. The company’s managing director Domenico De Luca expressed hope that the development of the first large-scale non-subsidized project will be the first of many to follow in the future.
The event was also welcomed by the Minister of Development A. Georgiadis, the Deputy Minister of Environment N. Tagaras as well as representatives of the companies participating in the development and construction of the project (Ameresco, Sunel).
The total amount of the investment, according to information, reaches 80 million euros.
Source: Capital
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