Wind projects soon to be linked to mainland grid

The upgrade of the power network serving Evia is expected to boost wind park investments in the island’s south, and in the nearby islands of Andros and Tinos. Permits for the areas are more than a decade old, but there was no solution for transmission, Energy Press reported.

IPTO, the power grid operator, announced in late July that it had completed work on a new high-voltage interconnector between Nea Makri in the mainland with Polytamos in Evia, Greece’s second largest island, located slightly northeast of Athens, after which trial runs started. A total of 42 aeolic power projects with a total capacity of as much as 610 MW have been approved: 555 MW in south and central Evia, 46.8 MW in wind parks on Andros, and 7.5 MW on Tinos, the report said.

Development of the mostly submarine line, a project budgeted at EUR 82.8 million, has been lacking funding. Besides financing issues, delays involved local authorities, which took time to grant permits, as well as court action taken by local communities, despite the fact that the greatest part of the line’s land crossing in Nea Makri was developed underground. Active wind energy facilities in the south of Evia have a total capacity of approximately 210 MW.

Investment Plan for Europe or Juncker Plan supports investments with the participation of the private sector in high-risk countries like Greece, which may be the solution for a project to connect the island of Crete to the mainland grid. The idea is from more than 20 years ago and the cost is ten times higher than for Evia’s transmission line.