April 25, 2024

Athens News

News in English from Greece

"Not to fat, to be alive": Greece returns to “national” fuel to lower electricity prices

Domestic “dirty” fuel, which, according to the original plan ΔΕΗwhich was supposed to be a thing of the past from 2023, is used not only to supply the country with energy, but also to regulate the subsidization of electricity bills.

The government is promoting a plan to maximize the use of lignite to increase its share in the fuel mix for electricity generation and limit the use of very expensive natural gas. It was found that because of the situation in Ukraine, Putin, “holding” Europe’s natural gas supply, would manipulate it. In this connection, the unstable situation in the energy and natural gas supply of the Balkan countries will continue for a long time, and it will become increasingly difficult to cope with the consequences of high prices.

Following a decision taken in early April by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Environment and Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas instructed ΔΕΗ to increase the share of lignite in the electricity generation mix to 17-20% from 5% last year.

During the first 12 days of July, the share of lignite increased to 16.3%, while the share of natural gas remains at a high level of 48.6%, which actually reached 62% yesterday at a price of 183 EUR/MWh, and today with a price of above EUR 171/MWh 67%. The data alone leave no doubt about the correctness of the decision to increase the use of brown coal. In the end, all European countries are switching to coal, trampling on the grandiose plans of environmentalists (“not to fat, to be alive”). It remains to be seen whether this is feasible and in what time frame it can be implemented. cathimerini.gr.

In practice, it is about quadrupling the production of lignite and the continuous daily operation of seven lignite plants (to Agios Dimitrios, Melitis and Megalopolis). This means the intensification of production in the mines after their two-year closure.

“If we start mining coal today, we will get the result only in six or seven months. The mine is not a robot. Press the button and you’re done! Financing is needed in order to put the equipment in order and involve workers, ”says the responsible employee of ΔΕΗ.



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