Greek coal region of Megalopolis opens new chapter after lignite

Last year, for the first time in decades, no smoke rose out of coal plants in the Peloponnese peninsula. The last two units had 500 MW together. Megalopolis is one of the two coal regions in Greece, along with Western Macedonia in the country’s north.

According to Public Power Corporation (PPC or DEI) the units Megalopolis-3 and Megalopolis-4 have now been permanently retired. Under the government-controlled utility’s plan to phase out coal completely next year, all such power plants stopped operating by now, with the exception of Ptolemaida 5, of 660 MW, which entered into operation last year. To maintain the security of supply, two units are kept in reserve, also in Western Macedonia in northern Greece.

PPC has produced a study for the reconstruction of the Megalopolis thermal power station, intending to accommodate other activities. Similar works are already underway in the local lignite mine.

New energy investments underway

The group’s investment plan involves various renewable energy and storage projects in Megalopolis to support the area’s energy transition. It is building two photovoltaic farms of 125 MW each, as part of a 490 MW cluster in the area.

The plan includes a 181 MW pumped storage hydropower station in the former lignite mine.

Based on the government’s Just Transition Development Program, Megalopolis will also host a battery factory, by Enercells, as well as two data centers, by Eunice and Kiefer, of 5 MW each. The investments have been approved by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, to seek funding from the European Union’s Just Transition Fund (JTF).

PPC expressed the belief that data centers are important for coal regions. Earlier this year, the group’s CEO George Stassis said they are ideal for such investments as the land and grid connections are already available. PPC is planning a 300 MW data center in Western Macedonia, but it hasn’t announced anything similar for Megalopolis yet.