Press Release for Offshore Wind Parks in Greece

Tuesday, 31st of October 2023

PRESS RELEASE

on the occasion of the public announcement

of the National Program for Offshore Wind Farms

Offshore Wind: Great opportunity for Greece

The Hellenic Wind Energy Association ELETAEN welcomes the announcement of the National Program for Offshore Wind Farms (OWF)^[1] by the Ministry of Environment & Energy and HEREMA^[2]. The National Program includes the areas of the Greek seas that seem suitable for OWF. After its public announcement, the Program will undergo a strategic environmental impact assessment and will be approved with a joint ministerial decision.

According to the country’s preliminary energy planning, the target for Offshore Wind Farms (OWF) is 1,900 MW for 2030 and 6,200 MW for 2035. The target for 2050 is 17,300 MW. Achieving these goals requires significant investments: over €6 billion by 2030 and over €28 billion by 2050. These investments may have a high local added value (almost 67%).

The effective implementation of the announced National Program for OWF is an opportunity for the state and the society. Greece must take advantage of the experience gained by the development of onshore wind farms in the last 30 years and learn from the mistakes and the right movements that have been made.

Actions in 6 fronts are required:

1. The creation of a flexible licensing system, based on the provisions of the European legislation of the REPowerEU, which will ensure that interested investors and their projects, when selected, will not face a typhoon of bureaucracy and delays.
2. The rapid promotion of the country’s international interconnections, in order for the rich wind potential of the Aegean Sea to become a necessary part of the Europe’s energy independence. Initiatives such as the Green Aegean Interconnector^[3] must be supported at the highest level.
3. The preparation of a focused investment support program for the supply chain. Thus, the country can target to serve not only its own OWPs but also the OWPs of the Eastern Mediterranean region.
4. Exhaustive and continuous dialogue with the society, local administrations and professional associations involved with the marine area, in order to explain the benefits and to address promptly and validly concerns and questions that always arise.
5. The preparation at high level and the implementation of a road map for the exploitation of the rich wind potential throughout the Aegean Sea, based on international law.
6. The support from the government to HEREMA with more financial and human resources in order to move even faster towards the goal.

In particular, it is emphasized that in order to maximize the benefits for Greece, the development of OWF must be accompanied by the development of a domestic supply chain that will involve traditional and new sectors of our economy, such as shipyards, ports, cable, cement and electrical equipment industries , metal construction industries, transport, shipping, services, etc.

For this, ELETAEN, in collaboration with the Norwegian Offshore Wind, is organizing a two-day event^[4]. Specifically, on the morning of Thursday, November 23, 2023, a conference – with free entry for the public – on the supply chain for the OW is being organized at the OTE Academy facilities in Marousi. In the afternoon of the same day and the following day, there will be a joint working session and private meetings of Greek and Norwegian companies with the aim of transferring the know-how and seeking synergies.

On the occasion of the announcement of the National Program for OWF, the President of ELETAEN Mr. Panagiotis Ladakakos made the following statement:

” The announcement of the National Program for Offshore Wind is an important step for the implementation of the law passed last summer by the Greek Parliament. The Greek and the international investment community look up to our country and expect its rapid implementation.

Offshore wind farms, along with onshore wind farms and other renewables, can make Greece a clean energy exporter. This will provide significant economic and development benefits and strengthen our energy independence and the geostrategic role of our homeland for the benefit of peace and security in the region.

Above all, Offshore Wind Farms can provide large amounts of clean energy that is essential for climate neutrality and for addressing the climate crisis.”

Notes for editors

[1]   Offshore Wind Farms (OWF) are the wind farms that are installed in the sea, i.e. beyond the coast (offshore). The OWFs may be founded on the seabed if the sea depth is relatively shallow (up to about 50 meters), or consist of floating wind turbines if the depths are greater.

[2]   HEREMA, the Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources Management Company, is the public body that has, by legislation, undertaken to pre-select and develop to a certain extent the wider areas of the Greek seas where it is possible to install offshore wind farms (OWF ).

[3]   The Green Aegean Interconnector (GAI) is the electrical “boulevard” project from Greece to central and northern Europe promoted by IPTO.

[4]   Details of the conference and business activities of the two-day supply chain for PPE can be found on the ELETAEN website https://eletaen.gr/workshop-offshore-wind-in-greece-prospects-challenges-for-the-supply-chain-a-sustainable-growth/

You may download the Press Release in pdf HERE

You may see the national program at HEREMA’s web- site HERE