Wednesday, July 29 2020

The Hellenic Wind Energy Association has addressed a letter to the Ministry asking for measures to ensure the implementation of RES projects already selected in auctions (priority in the examination of the applications for design modification, another milestone for keeping the sFiP contract, extension of the deadline for the project implementation). More analytically:

A] Most of the projects which have already been selected in auctions need to modify their licenses in order to adapt them to their newest design (e.g. fewer and bigger wind turbines).

What is needed: The applications for modifying the issued permits of the RES projects which have already been selected in an auction, need to be examined in priority by all competent authorities (i.e. national defense, forestrial and archaeological authorities, etc.).

B] Currently, the milestone for keeping the sliding feed-in premium (sFiP) contract effective for a project which has succeeded in an auction, is its connection to the grid. Meeting such milestone is also dependent on the System Operator. However, there are other -more appropriate- milestones at an earlier development phase of a project, after which its completion has already become absolutely secured.

For example, an appropriate milestone for keeping the sFiP contract, could be one of  those already contemplated for the extension of the validity of an installation license for a second time (e.g. wind turbine/solar panel order and down payment in place, 40% of the actual onsite work performed – case a1.b.aa of par. 10 of art. 8 of law 3468/2006).

C] An extension of the deadline for the implementation of the projects selected in auctions is required (e.g. 12 months)

The necessity of this extension is imposed by the following reasons:

(j) in essence, the deadlines which are set by the auctions constitute a significant reduction in the deadlines for the projects’ implementation in relation to those provided by the legislation for the installation licenses,

(ii) the pandemic crisis has caused and continues to have adverse effects on the smooth design and the licensing procedures of the projects. Obviously at this time the difficulties are not as acute as they were during the outbreak of the pandemic or the quarantine period. But they still exist and the delays caused in the previous period have not been cured.

You may download the note in pdf HERE