Construction starting in second phase of giant PV plant in Peloponnese coal land

Terna won the contract for the construction of the second of the three parts of a 490 MW solar park in Megalopolis, on former lignite mines. Public Power Corp. – PPC Group said the third phase would begin next year.

The second phase of the construction of a 490 MW photovoltaic plant in Megalopolis is beginning, transforming former lignite sites in the Peloponnese peninsula into a green energy hub. PPC Group’s subsidiary PPC Renewables signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for 125 MW on 49.4 hectares with Terna, part of the GEK Terna conglomerate.

The first phase, 125 MW, is under construction. PPC intends to complete it by the end of the year. It expects to begin building the third phase, 240 MW, in 2026.

Bifacial panels to be on fixed structures

The second part entails 215,000 bifacial solar panels on fixed structures. The facility would be connected to the Megalopoli Ultra High Voltage Substation via a new high voltage substation at the Neo Choremi site.

The entire 490 MW would generate an estimate 860 GWh per year, the announcement reads. It is equivalent to the electricity needs of 215,000 households. The projected output would prevent carbon dioxide emissions of 430,000 tons per year.

PPC already has a 50 MW photovoltaic plant in Megalopolis, the smaller of the two coal regions in Greece.

Replicating solar makeover from Western Macedonia

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of PPC Group and CEO of PPC Renewables Konstantinos Mavros compared the project in the Peloponnese to the ones in coal land in Western Macedonia in the country’s north. Just like in Ptolemaida, the Megalopoli photovoltaic plant is going to replace the the production of electricity from coal and ensure the historic continuity of the area’s role in energy supply, he pointed out.

The utility’s three-year strategic plan for the period through 2027 is to install 5.6 GW more from renewables in Greece and Southeastern Europe, reaching 11.8 GW in the segment. PPC said it is also looking to expand its portfolio with new technologies such as offshore wind power and floating photovoltaics, also known as floatovoltaics.