The share of electricity produced from renewable sources in Greece rose to a now unprecedented 47.1% in the first ten months of this year. Net imports cover 6.6% of demand, which is the lowest percentage since 2013. In October alone, demand was 9% lower than in the same month of 2021.
Electricity production from renewable sources, including large hydropower plants, was 20.2 GWh in the period up to the end of October, according to data released by Greece’s Independent Electricity Transmission Operator – IPTO or Admie. It exceeded the combined share of fossil fuels – gas and lignite, of 19.9 GWh, for the first time so far in that period, Green Tank reported.
Fossil fuels were still ahead of RES in the first nine months of this year, but increasing electricity generation from renewable sources, a significant drop in demand for electricity, high gas prices and other economic parameters have reversed the trend. Energy production from gas and lignite fell by 58% and 23%, respectively, compared to October 2021.
Renewable energy sources, including large hydropower plants, covered 47.1% of demand in the first ten months, which is five percentage points more than the previous year. The share of net imports was 6.6%, which is the lowest level since 2013. In October, total demand fell by 9% on an annual basis. At 3.65 GWh, it is the fourth lowest monthly consumption in the last ten years.
The share of green energy and total production increased despite the drop in the segment of large hydropower plants, caused by the drought. Lignite had a 10.9% share from January to October, just 0.4 percentage points higher than in the same period in 2021.
Renewable sources without large hydropower plants achieved the highest percentage increase in production (18.4%), to 16.7 GWh, overtaking gas as the leading source of production for the first time.
On October 7, the demand in Greece’s electricity system was for the first time 100% covered by renewable energy sources for at least five hours.
Greek renewables, especially solar, are expected to achieve a record this year, as 888 MW of capacity was added in the first six months, and the combined output of new installations is expected to rise even further in the second half of the year.
Source: balkangreenenergynews.com
