Photo: PPC Group
Public Power Corp. said its new photovoltaic cluster is the biggest in Europe, estimating annual production of the 2.13 GW complex at 3.15 TWh. It includes Phoebe, the second-largest solar park in the European Union. Also in northern Greece’s coal land, the company completed two battery storage stations, in Meliti and Ptolemaida, while the Amyntaio system is progressing rapidly, and pumped storage hydropower projects are advancing.
Construction works for PPC Group’s photovoltaic plants in Amyntaio and Ptolemaida in northern Greece have been completed. The state-controlled power utility utilizes former lignite mine areas as it is phasing out the solid fossil fuel. The coal exit is scheduled for this year.
Total capacity of the new complex is 2.13 GW, capable of generating 3.15 GWh per annum. It corresponds to nearly 6% of the country’s annual electricity consumption and the needs of 750,000 households. The operation of the photovoltaic stations will prevent more than 1.5 million tons of emissions annually, the company calculated.
“In a volatile geopolitical, economic, and energy environment, renewable energy sources constitute a high-value domestic asset that ensures the country’s energy independence. Greece represents a true success case study, as from 2019 to today, in less than seven years, the share of thermal generation has decreased from 67% to 50%, with PPC Group playing a crucial role in this achievement,” said the group’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer Konstantinos Mavros, responsible for renewables.
In his words, the Western Macedonia region in northern Greece is becoming the country’s new green energy hub, hosting the largest photovoltaic cluster in Europe, alongside storage units.
Devastated coal land turns into second-biggest PV plant in EU
All the major facilities are in Western Macedonia. Phoebe, of 550 MW in peak capacity, is the second-biggest photovoltaic plant in the EU. The location is near the Agios Dimitrios coal power plant and the village of Pontokomi, between Ptolemaida and Kozani.
Estimated annual production, 880 GWh, corresponds to 1.8% of Greece’s interconnected system production, data shows.
The Amyntaio photovoltaic complex, 940 MW in peak capacity, has surpassed the 850 MW cluster of 17 units in Spain, called Escatrón-Chiprana-Samper Solar Farm, which was considered to be the largest in Europe.
The Amyntaio solar power cluster is the largest in Europe
PPC developed and built it in cooperation with RWE. The cluster near Florina spans Rodonas, Filotas, Lakkia and Perdikkas. Amyntaio generates an estimated 1.5 TWh per year.
Helios Velos 1 is a new PV park in the vicinity of the city of Ptolemaida. At 200 MW in peak capacity, its yearly output amounts to 320 GWh, the utility calculated.
Solar power plants Exochi 7 and Akrini both have 80 MW in peak terms, each generating an estimated 122 GWh per year. PPC Group said ten more smaller photovoltaic stations are in former lignite areas.
Two BESS facilities completed, third is underway
PPC Renewables, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PPC Group, has completed an electrochemical energy storage station in Ptolemaida, near the Kardia coal power plant, and Meliti, near an eponymous coal plant, with a total capability of 98 MW and storage capacity of 196 MWh. They are waiting for permits to start storing and releasing electricity.
Near the Amyntaio coal power plant, construction works are underway for a battery energy storage system (BESS) of 50 MW, with 200 MWh in capacity. It means it can supply electricity to the grid for up to four hours at maximum power.
Pumped storage hydropower projects advancing
At the same time, two major pumped storage hydropower projects are maturing in former mining areas of PPC Group, having already secured the necessary regulatory approvals.
The first site is at the Kardia mine. It will have a generation capacity of 320 MW, for eight hours, which translates to 2.56 GW, the company added. The former mine would be the lower reservoir.
In the South Field mine, the group is planning a pumped storage facility of 240 MW for 12 hours. The investment cost is EUR 310 million.
The South Field pumped storage hydropower project is worth EUR 310 million
Pumped hydro mitigates the intermittency of renewable energy sources and contributes to grid stability. A typical facility includes two water reservoirs at different elevations. During low demand, excess electricity drives pumps that move water from the lower reservoir to the upper one, storing it as potential energy. When demand increases, water is released back down through turbines, generating electricity.
Engaging local communities in Kozani and Florina, PPC Group launched a bond on March 13, amounting to EUR 5 million. It gives the holders, residents, the opportunity to participate in the company’s investments in the area.
In November, the utility completed a wind farm of 36 MW in Fokida in central Greece. The seven Siemens Gamesa SG145 wind turbines are on Karkaros mountain, spanning the territories of municipal units Antikyra and Desfina. Expected output is 82.5 GWh per year.
Expansion in Romania gains pace
As for the activities in surrounding countries, also five months ago, PPC commissioned a 130 MW solar farm in Călugăreni in Romania. The site south of Bucharest, in Giurgiu county, features 227,240 bifacial panels. The company expressed expectations that annual production would exceed 193 GWh.
PPC Renewables Romania intends to add a 13.5 MW / 27 MWh battery system to its Topolog (Gebeleisis) wind farm, Financial Intelligence reported last month. The project is worth RON 29.85 million (EUR 5.86 million). Up to 16.6% would be a grant via the EU’s Modernisation Fund.
The wind park, of 27 MW, consists of 11 turbines.
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