GREECE Law and Practice Contributed by: Evangelos (Evans) Courakis, Evangelos Mylonas Tsoumas, Sofia Andreanoudi, Vassiliki Xynou and Ioanna Marouso Argyriou, Koutalidis Law Firm
expected to increase the capacity by 600 MW in both directions). • Italy: Greece is connected to Italy via a submarine power cable known as the Italy- Greece HVDC Interconnector, which has a capacity of 500 MW. This line connects the Greek mainland to the Italian power grid. Further to this, a new submarine power link with transmission capacity of 1,000 MW is expected to operate in parallel with the exist- ing 500 MW interconnection. • North Macedonia: two interconnection lines with transmission capacity of 500-600 MW each. • Albania: two interconnection lines with total transmission capacity of approximately 1,000 MW. These interconnections are crucial for balancing supply and demand and integrating renewable energy sources. Greece’s participation in the ENTSO-E further facilitates cross-border elec- Electricity supply mix in 2024 saw significant contributions from renewable energy sources, reflecting the country’s commitment to increas- ing its green energy capacity generated by RES. According to data supplied by the IPTO, the sup- ply mix for 2024 was formed as follows. • Wind, solar and hydropower: combined these sources covered 50.3% of all electricity gen- erated and – once net exports are deducted – 50.5% of domestic demand. That share is the highest ever recorded for Greece; output from wind and PV stations alone increased by 19.8% compared to 2023, while large-hydro generation slipped by 14%. • Natural gas: natural gas retained its role as the system’s main balancing fuel, with the tricity trading, promoting reliability. 2.3 Supply Mix of Electricity
production being equal to 37.5% of total gen- eration, after a sharp 35.9% rebound from the previous year that offset both weaker lignite output and higher demand. • Lignite: although lignite has been phasing out, it still contributed to the energy mix by approximately 5.7%. The government’s time- table to retire all lignite stations by December 2028 therefore remains on track, with the fuel now relegated to a strategic reserve role during tight system hours, especially as a measure to ensure energy security amidst fluctuating natural gas supplies. 2.4 Market Concentration Limits Market concentration limits in the electricity supply sector are governed by a combination of national laws and EU regulations designed to promote competition and prevent the forma- tion of monopolies. The principal laws govern- ing market concentration limits could be sum- marised as follows. • The Energy Law is the fundamental law that regulates the Greek electricity market, imple- menting the EU’s Third Energy Package. It aims to enhance competition, ensure fair access to the electricity network and protect consumer rights. • Law 4389/2016 is also known as the “Greek Public Sector Reform Law,” which is primarily focused on broader economic and admin- istrative reforms in Greece. However, it also contains provisions that impact the electricity market, specifically regarding market concen- tration and the operation of the energy sector. At the same time, Law 4389/2016, as amended, includes measures to ensure the unbundling of activities within PPC, Greece’s dominant electricity provider. These provisions aimed to separate production, transmission and distribu-
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