Greece launches pilot project for offshore PV plants
(Article by Mira Todorovic Symeonides, Partner, published in the Energy & Natural Resources Newsletter of the ILO on September 5, 2022)
Introduction
On 4 July 2022, Law No. 4951/2022 was published in the Official Journal.(1) The law regulates various important issues in the field of energy (primarily renewable energy), including:
- licensing;
- connection to the grid;
- participation in the market; and
- electricity storage.
For the first time in Greece, the law regulates offshore photovoltaic (PV) plants. It initially provides for up to 10 pilot projects with capacities of between 0.5 and one megawatts, fixed either to the seabed or to the shore.
Project holders
The project holders may be:
- individuals with:
- Greek citizenship; or
- citizenship of an EU country; or
- legal entities, established and with a seat in:
- Greece;
- an EU country; or
- a third country, if the holder has close and permanent business connections with an EU member state
Required licences and approvals
For these projects, unlike other renewable energy projects, it is not necessary to obtain a production licence, environmental approvals or construction licences. The required licenses and approvals are:
- a certificate verifying the permitted positioning of the offshore PV plant;
- a binding offer for connection to the grid and an agreement on connection to the grid;
- optionally, an agreement on receiving operational state aid;
- a single installation and operation licence; and
- concession agreements and other evidence demonstrating the right to use the respective onshore and offshore areas.
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