First offshore wind farms in six regions of Greece

The National Offshore Wind Power Development Program (EPAYAP) has pre-qualified 12 areas as potentially eligible for the country’s first offshore wind farms.

Projects to install six of them at the first stage will be considered, approved and implemented until 2030. The Alexandroupolis area is a special case, where 600 MW wind turbine pilot projects will be located.

The leader is Crete, where a total of 800 MW of offshore wind power plants are planned to be installed, 600 MW in the north-eastern part of the island between Ag. Nikolaou and Sitia, as well as a 200 MW power plant east of Sitia. This is followed by the South Aegean Sea (the area between Kos and Rhodes), where wind farms with a capacity of 550 MW could be installed. Next come the islands of the northeastern Aegean Sea (Lesbos-Skyros-Kimis zone). Wind turbines with a capacity of 300 MW will be installed there.

The offshore wind energy industry of the Cyclades, despite its high potential, is limited in its development due to the “tourism territory” and the negative social reaction of local residents. Probably, if the issues can be successfully resolved, power plants with a capacity of 250 MW will be installed in the area between Syros and Naxos.

In general, the “map” of potential areas also includes the Ionian Sea, which was not initially planned, since it is not among the areas with high wind potential. The national program included the region of the Diapontine Islands (Διαπόντιων Νησιών στο βορειοδυτικό Ιόνιο), located in the north-west of the Ionian Sea, to host wind turbines with a capacity of 200 MW.

Most projects will floating, due to the great depth of the Greek sea.

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