Promotion in Greece

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Updated: 17.01.2019

Author: Georgios Maroulis

Summary of support schemes

  • Premium tariff. From 2016, RES and combined heat and power (CHP) plants connected to the transmission system participate in the electricity market and are awarded a sliding feed-in premium (FiP), called “Operating support based on a differential compensation price”. Apart from that, feed-in premium is awarded through tenders since 1 January 2017 (see “Tender”). Hence, Operating Support Contracts for RES plants ≥1MW and wind plants ≥6MW will not be signed until a tender is announced. Exemptions apply to smaller Installations.
  • Tender. From 2017, RES and CHP plants are awarded with a sliding FiP through tenders. Tenders are expected to be “technology specific”. The Ministry of Environment and Energy shall issue a decision concerning the capacities available for each technology for each subsequent tender. In December 2016, a pilot tender for PV already took place. The tender included two categories of PV installations, followed a two-stage process with specific price and volume caps. In 2018, two tenders for PV and wind energy took place.
  • Feed-in tariff I (feed-in premium exemptions): From 2016, RES and CHP plants to be connected to the transmission system participate in the electricity market and are awarded a sliding feed-in premium (called “Operating support based on a differential compensation price”) and from 2017, feed-in premium is granted through tenders (see “Tender”). However, exemptions apply to smaller installations, i.e. wind energy plants ≤3 MW and other RES installations ≤500 kW, which are eligible for a feed-in tariff.
  • Tax regulation mechanism. The Development Law that came into force in July 2016, foresees support for CHP plants, small-scale hydro-power plants, and self-production using other RES in a form of an income tax relief and stabilisation of income tax coefficient. They can be substituted with other support mechanisms under Development Law, i.e. subsidies (s. “Subsidies”).
  • Subsidies: The 2016 Development Law foresees support for CHP plants, small-scale hydro-power plants, and self-production using other RES in a form of subsidies, leasing subsidies, and subsidies for the creation of new jobs. They can be substituted with other support mechanisms, i.e. tax regulation mechanisms (s. “Tax regulation mechanism”).
  • Net metering. The amendment of Law No. 3468/2006 introduces net metering for all RES for autonomous producers, while “virtual net metering” is applicable to PV and small wind power plants only in certain cases. The net metering process is stipulated in FEK B’ 3583/2014. Furthermore a similar PV (virtual) net metering scheme was introduced in 2017.

Technologies

In general, all renewable electricity generation technologies are eligible for support in Greece.

Statutory provisions

  • Law No. 2773/1999 (Law on the Liberalisation of the Energy Market and on the Regulation of Issues Related to Energy Policy)
  • Law No. 3468/2006 (Generation of Electricity Using Renewable Energy Sources and High-Efficiency Cogeneration of Electricity and Heat and Miscellaneous Provisions)
  • Min Res/F1/oik. 17149 (Procedure for the Issue of Planning and Operation Permissions for Renewable Energy Plants)
  • Law No. 3175/2003 (Development of Geothermal Energy, District Heating and Miscellaneous Provisions)
  • Law No. 4001/2011 (Regulation of Electricity and Natural Gas Markets. Research on, and Production and Distribution of Hydrocarbons)
  • RAE Decision No. 1101/2017 (Decision of Greek Regulative Authority for Energy on the Calculation of the Tax Authorised by Art. 143, Par. 2c Law No. 4001/2011 for the calendar year 2018)
  • Law No. 4152/2013 (Urgent Implementation measures of Laws No. 4046/2012, 4093/2012 and 4127/2013)
  • FEK B’ 3583/2014 (Ministerial Decree “Installation of RES plants by autonomous producers under a net- metering scheme as it is foreseen by Law No. 3468/2006, art. 14a”)
  • Law No. 4399/2016 (Institutional framework for the establishment of Private Investment support scheme for environmental regional and economic development of the country – Establishment of the Development Council and other provisions (Development Law))
  • Law No. 4414/2016. (New Support Scheme of Renewable Energy and CHP Plants - Provisions concerning the Legal and Administrative Unbundling of Natural Gas Supply and Distribution and Miscellaneous Provisions)
  • Min. Res./ F1/oik. 187706 (Form and content of functional Support Contracts (Differential Price) for RES Stations and CHP (Excluding hybrid plants) in the Interconnected System and the Interconnected Network, according to par. 3 of article 9 of Law No. 4414/2016)
  • Min. Res./ F1/oik. 187701 (Form and content of functional Support Contracts Fixed Price RES Stations and CHP (Excluding hybrid plants) in the Interconnected System and the Interconnected Network, according to par. 3 of article 10 of Law No. 4414/2016)
  • Law No. 4447/2016 (Spatial planning - Sustainable development and other provisions (Article 28: Arrangements for the conclusion Procurement Operational Support RES and CHP Licensing issues plants Production RES stations and CHP)) RAE Decision 417/2016 (Conducting the Pilot competitive bidding process for photovoltaic installations in accordance with the provisions of Article 7 paragraph 8 of N.4414/2016)
  • Min Res./F10 oik.175067 (Ministerial Decree “Installation of RES plants by autonomous producers under a (virtual) net metering scheme as it is foreseen by Law No. 3468/2006, art. 14a”)
  • Law No. 4153/2018 (Energy Communities and other provisions)
  • RAE Decision 1026/2018 (Call for 3 tenders for electricity production from RES in accordance with the provisions of Article 7 paragraph 8 of N.4414 / 2016 - July 2018)
  • RAE Decision 321/2018 - Call for 3 tenders for electricity production from RES in accordance with the provisions of Article 7 paragraph 8 of N.4414/2016 December 2018)

Greece

Further information

  • Υπουργείο Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας - Ministry of Environment and Energy (YPEN- MEE)
  • +30 210 6965 902
  • Ministry website
  • Υπουργείο Οικονομίας, Ανάπτυξης και Τουρισμού - Ministry of Economy, Development, and Tourism
  • +30 210 3332000
  • Ministry website
  • Κέντρο Ανανεώσιμων Πηγών Ενέργειας και Εξοικονόμησης Ενέργειας - Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES) - energy agency
  • +30 210 660 33 00
  • CRES website
  • cres(at)cres.gr
  • Ελληνικός Σύνδεσμός Ηλεκτροπαραγωγών από Ανανεώσιμες Πηγές Ενέργειας (ΕΣΗΑΠΕ) - Greek Association of RES Electricity Producers (GAREP)
  • +30 210 958 10 13
  • GAREP website
  • info(at)hellasres.gr
  • Δημόσια Επιχείρηση Ηλεκτρισμού- Public Power Corporation S.A. (PPC) - electric utility company
  • Dimitris Venetidis
  • +30 210 523 77 18
  • PPC website
  • info(at)dei.com.gr
  • Ανεξάρτητος Διαχειριστής Μεταφοράς Ενέργειας- Independent Power Transmission Operator (ADMIE)
  • +30-210-5192101
  • ADMIE website
  • Info(at)admie.gr
  • Λειτουργός Αγοράς Ηλεκτρικής Ενέργειας- Greek Electricity Market Operator (LAGIE)
  • +30-210-9466700
  • LAGIE website
  • info(at)lagie.gr
  • Διαχειριστής του Ελληνικού Δικτύου Διανομής Ηλεκτρικής Ενέργειας - Hellenic Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO)
  • +30 210 9281698
  • HEDNO website
  • infodeddie(at)deddie.gr