Greek gas supplier to build solar power plants of 550 MW in total

DEPA Commercial is preparing public calls for contractors for the installation of its first photovoltaic parks. With a reported 550 MW in combined capacity, the gas supplier and importer is shifting its focus toward renewables.

Companies in the fossil fuel sector in Greece are betting big on green energy. In their latest move within the country-wide shift, Motor Oil and Public Power Corp. or PPC have launched a joint venture for green hydrogen. Earlier, Hellenic Petroleum became HELLENiQ Energy to mark its entry into the sustainability era.

Greece’s gas importer and supplier DEPA Commercial, which is participating in the hydrogen-ready gas power plant project in Alexandroupolis, initiated its green transformation several years ago. According to an article published by Energypress, the utility is preparing tenders for selecting the companies that would build its first solar power plants.

The budget for the first group of solar power units is estimated at EUR 400 million

Total reported capacity is stunning – 550 MW, with a budget of EUR 400 million. The public calls are planned to be issued within three months, according to the news outlet, which also learned that the contractors would get incentives to complete the works before deadlines.

Greece’s main coal hub in Kozani in the Western Macedonia province is set to host 450 MW, of which one unit is envisaged with a capacity of 400 MW, while the remainder is about to be installed in Boeotia (Viotia). In the same area, HELLENiQ operates the biggest solar power plant in Greece, at 205 MW, and PPC Renewables is building and developing huge individual photovoltaic plants.

One of the photovoltaic projects is envisaged with 400 MW in capacity

Unnamed sources revealed that DEPA Commercial, also known as DEPA Commerce, intends to sell the electricity through bilateral power purchase agreements (PPAs), including to Fysiko Aerio – Hellenic Energy Co., which distributes gas and electricity. The plan is to bring the solar power plants online in 2025.

DEPA Commercial has another 150 MW in photovoltaics in the project pipeline, waiting to obtain grid connection terms.