Greece

Greek renewables developer Elica SA is seeking consultants for two desktop studies related to an electrical interconnection project between Greece and Egypt. The undersea link will transmit green energy to Europe via a 3 GW HDVC connection.

Greece has grand plans for an interconnector network that runs from the Middle East through to the heart of Europe. pv magazine examines the latest developments on the road to a Mediterranean super grid and what it might mean for the regions involved.

The European Commission has approved €1 billion ($1.08 billion) of Greek measures under EU state-aid rules to support two utility-scale solar projects with lithium-ion batteries and molten-salt thermal storage. The funds will take the form of a contract for difference (CfD) over a period of 20 years.

Cero Development Hellas, part of Macquarie, has secured approval to install 749 MWh at one of the largest PV plants in Greece.

Greece installed 1.59 GW of solar in 2023, bringing the country’s cumulative PV capacity to 7.1 GW by the end of December.

Brite Solar, a Greek specialty module manufacturer targeting the agrivoltaics greenhouse and PV canopy segments, is building a 150 MW production line. Marketing its modules to farming cooperatives, integrators and installers since the end of 2022, Brite solar has pilot installations in North America, Southeast Asia, and Europe. In January it announced raising $9.26 million in venture capital.

The Greek authorities have awarded 300 MW of new battery storage capacity in the nation’s second energy storage tender, split among 11 projects. The tender is part of the country’s 1 GW energy storage auction program.

The European Commission says Greece’s new subsea electricity interconnection linking the island of Crete to mainland Greece will receive more than €250 million ($269.3 million) from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

RWE and PPC have announced the final investment decision for the construction of a 450 MWp solar plant in Greece through their joint venture, Meton Energy S.A. RWE has also shared the details of a 35 MW/41 MWh battery storage project – its first utility-scale storage facility in the Netherlands.

Greece’s Public Power Corp. (PPC) has secured funding for the construction of a 550 MW solar plant at a former lignite mine. The state-owned utility says that, upon completion, the plant will cover almost 2.5% of domestic electricity generation.