The Greek National Energy and Climate Plan energy-storage capacity increase that has been set 30 percent higher than a target included in an earlier draft of the NECP sent to the European Commission last November is the biggest change to the plan, whose latest version is expected to soon be forwarded by the energy ministry for consultation.
The NECP’s energy-storage capacity target for 2030 has been increased from 3.1 GW, as set in the previous draft, to 4 GW.
If this target is achieved, along with a 2-GW target set for pumped-storage power plants, then the country’s overall storage capacity would actually increase to 6 GW. Such a level would be deemed sufficient to handle the increased presence of renewables, sector officials believe.
The updated NECP also sets a series of other objectives, such as reducing the number of operating hours of natural gas-fueled power stations by 60 percent and lowering energy-transition investments, especially regarding building and transmission.
The output of natural gas-fueled power stations is planned to fall to 10 TWh by 2030 from levels of between 16 and 17 TWh in recent years, according to the updated NECP.
This planned reduction in natural gas-fueled generation has raised questions about the sustainability of these power stations if their operating hours are reduced. Additionally, there are concerns about how their continued existence can be ensured, given their crucial role in compensating for inconsistent renewable energy output and seasonal fluctuations in electricity demand.
The update NECP’s 2030 target for installed RES capacity has been kept unchanged at 23–24 GW, but, according to sources, the wind-power target has been raised to nearly 11 GW from 10 GW in last November’s draft, energypress.eu reports.
