Photo: Pixabay
Greece intends to increase the share of renewable energy in electricity consumption from 29.2% to 61% and the share in transport from 6.6% to 19%, according to its final National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) for the period 2021-2030. The overall target for renewables is set at 35%, compared to 18% in 2018.
The European Commission has prepared assessments of the final NECPs of all member states, which include their performance in addressing the recommendations after the submission of draft NECPs.
Greece has partially addressed the recommendations, the assessment reads.
However, on renewables, the country largely addressed the recommendation to improve renewables policies and measures.
Here you can read the assessments for Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus.
NECPs show how each European Union member country would contribute to the bloc’s energy and climate targets for 2030 with renewables, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emission cuts, interconnections, and research and innovation. The EU intends to achieve a 40% reduction in GHG emissions from 1990 levels (30% from 2005 levels outside the EU Emissions Trading System), a 32% share for renewables, and a 32.5% improvement in energy efficiency.
Renewables – electrification of the heating and cooling, and transport sector
Greece’s renewable energy contribution to the EU target for 2030 is 35% of gross final energy consumption. According to the assessment, it is more ambitious than the contribution of 31% specified in the draft NECP and well above the minimum share resulting from the formula in Annex II of the Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action (Governance Regulation). The formula distributes the efforts across all EU member states in order to achieve a goal at EU level of 32%.
Wind and solar photovoltaic will help the country to secure 61% of electricity consumption is covered by renewable sources, according to the assessment.
The main contributing technologies in the heating and cooling sector are solar and geothermal
Greece aims to achieve a 42.5% share of renewable energy in heating and cooling and 19% in the transport sector.
Electrification of these sectors will be implemented by using heat pumps, energy storage systems, methane and hydrogen produced from renewable electricity, and electric vehicles.
In the heating and cooling sector, the main contributing technologies are solar and geothermal, ambient heat and bioenergy, while in the transport sector the focus is on biofuels and electricity.
NECP does not provide timeframes or quantifications for the policies and measures. Therefore the commission cannot assess if they meet the requirements of the Renewables Directive.
Earlier, Greece has announced that it intends to phase out coal in power sector by 2028.
Investments – EUR 11 billion for energy efficiency
Greece estimates EUR 43.8 billion must be invested over 10 years to achieve NECP’s goals.
The largest amount, EUR 11 billion, is planned for the energy efficiency sector, followed by electricity generation from renewables (EUR 9 billion), electrical system infrastructure (EUR 5.5 billion), and circular economy and recycling (EUR 5 billion).
The plan lacks an analysis of the gap between the investment needs and available sources of financing.
GHG emissions – climate neutrality by 2050
NECP sets a 2030 target for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission cuts not covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (non-ETS) of 16% compared to 2005, in line with the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR).
Greece may exceed the goal by at least 17 percentage points if planned policies and measures are implemented, the assessment adds.
The country’s 2050 objective is to move towards a climate-neutral economy by 2050.
Energy efficiency – low ambition
Targets are more ambitious than in the draft plan, but the figures are still of modest and low ambition.
NECP includes a plan to renovate 600.000 homes by 2030, but Greece has not yet submitted its long-term renovation strategy, the Commission said.
Be the first one to comment on this article.