Lignite-fired units of thermal power plants Amynteo and Kardia, operated by state-controlled Public Power Corporation (PPC), are about to cease operation at the end of the month. TPP Amynteo will be placed on stand-by and could be restarted in late July and August during the peak of the tourist season, but this scenario is highly unlikely, especially because of low expectations due to the coronavirus outbreak. However, TPP Kardia is expected to be back online in October, for the next winter season until May 2021.
Previous Government extended the operational life of these two TPPs by additional 20,000 hours, namely until May 2021. But the current Government, in light of its decarbonization plans, decided to halt the production at the end of April 2020.
According to initial timetable of gradual withdrawal of lignite-fired units operated by PPC, Kardia I and II, each with a capacity of 275 MW, Amynteo I and II, each with 273 MW will be withdrawn by the end of 2020, Kardia III and IV (280 MW each) by the end of 2021, Megalopoli III (255 MW) by the end of 2022, Agios Dimitrios I and II (274 MW each) by the end of 2023, Agios Dimitrios III and IV (283 MW each) by the end of 2025, Agios Dimitrios V (342 MW) by end of 2027 and finally Meliti I (289 MW) and Megalopoli IV (256 MW) by end of 2028.
TPP Ptolemaida V, PPC’s lignite-fired power plant which is still under construction, will enter the system in 2022 and produce until 2028. Ptolemaida V could then take on some sort of back-up role beyond 2028, as a converted gas-fired unit.
