Wind power producers in Greece ask government for support to add batteries

The Greek wind energy sector wants government support for adding batteries to facilities, like the measures that would soon be approved for the photovoltaics sector.

As part of the recent bill of law submitted to parliament by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, 600 MW of behind-the-meter batteries would gain priority for installation within photovoltaic plants across the country, down from 1.5 GW considered previously. The capacity is split evenly between facilities in the transmission and distribution grids. The measure is for both operational units and projects with connection terms.

The goal is to promote energy storage and reduce curtailments in the long term, along with about 1,000 MW of standalone battery units promoted through auctions.

HWEA: Other technologies must take advantage

At a discussion in parliament, Chief Executive Officer of the Hellenic Wind Energy Association (HWEA or, in Greek, ELETAEN) Panagiotis Papastamatiou said the support should be expanded to include other renewable energy technologies like wind power.

Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO or Admie) also backed the idea, arguing it would free up space in the power grid and reduce curtailments.

Shift to wind necessary to avoid PV monoculture

IPTO’s Director of Regulatory Policy Nikos Boulaxis provided the latest data on installations and connection terms in the country. At the moment 14.3 GW of renewable energy units are operational, of which 6.4 GW are connected to transmission lines and 7.9 GW are in the distribution network. The company has provided connection terms to 15.73 GW of projects, of which 14.94 GW in the transmission network.

Given the high rise of photovoltaics in recent years, with more than 7.5 GW already installed, many in Greece call for a more balanced renewables mix to avoid a monoculture. There is fear that the system and producers themselves will suffer from having just one prominent technology.

Of note, the final National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) was presented in parliament ahead of its submission to the European Commission. The 2030 goals for photovoltaics and wind remained unchanged from its previous version, at 13.5 GW and 8.9 GW, respectively, compared to 7.5 GW and 5.2 GW currently installed.