The capacity of planned offshore wind farms in Greece will be 2.35 GW, according to a new decree by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, compared to 1.9 GW to 2 GW from the National Climate and Energy Plan (NECP).
The ministry also determined the capacity per marine zone. Unchanged, 600 MW would be installed offshore Thrace, within pilot projects. The Crete zone is set to host 250 MW and the Dodecanese islands another 500 MW. Around the Cyclades and inside the Gulf of Euboea (Evia), a total of 500 MW is envisaged, compared to 200 MW in the Gulf of Patras.
In addition, the ministerial decree set the points where the offshore wind farms would be connected to the power transmission network.
No protection against curtailment
Following a long standstill, the ministry declared the terms and conditions for the upcoming auctions. Investors will compete for contracts for difference (CfD), except in the case of the 600 MW in pilot wind farms, which would be eligible for feed-in tariffs.
The Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources Management Company (HEREMA) initially proposed to provide a protection mechanism against curtailments. The ministry didn’t accept, so offshore wind farms would be subject to such restrictions like any other renewables technology.
SPV for marine surveys established
A special purpose vehicle (SPV), a project firm under HEREMA, would be tasked with surveying wind and depth.
According to Energypress, there are investors interested in participating in becoming the SPV’s shareholders. They include the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO or ADMIE), cable manufacturers and banks.
Based on the plan, the SPV must have the necessary funding to conduct all its surveys before the auctions take place.
