The European Commission has approved a plan for 1.4 billion euros for the development of renewable energy sources in the islands not connected to mainland Greece.
In particular, the project supports the production of electricity using so-called hybrid power plants that generate and store electricity from solar and wind energy.
About 80% of the electricity in the Greek islands is currently produced from diesel and oil. Due to grid congestion, the addition of “electricity storage” to renewable energy plants is necessary to increase the share of renewable energy in the electricity supply on these islands.
The 47 affected islands, including Crete, will enter the plan prior to their final connection to mainland Greece. Overall, with this measure, Greece intends to support 264 MW of new renewable energy sources by the end of 2026.
The Commission assessed this measure on the basis of EU state aid rules, in particular the 2014 State Aid Guidelines for Environment and Energy, “EEAG”. The Commission determined that the assistance would be proportionate and limited to the necessary minimum. On most islands, the recipients of funding will be selected through a competitive procedure (tender).
On the island of Crete, there is an urgent need to increase the capacity of renewable energy sources due to the risk of power shortages. The Commission concluded that this measure would facilitate the expansion of production facilities. solar photovoltaic and ground wind power on the Greek Islands, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing oil and diesel power plants, in line with European Green targets.
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