GREECE Trends and Developments Contributed by: Evangelos (Evans) Courakis, Eleni Svoronou, Dimitra Rossopoulou, Maria Konstantina (Mariadina) Lili Kokkori and Evangelos Konitsas, Koutalidis Law Firm
new phase of materialisation, with the first large- scale green hydrogen projects now underway. A flagship example is Motor Oil’s facility in Agioi Theodoroi, which involves the installation of an electrolyser powered entirely by renewables and is projected to produce up to 7,500 tons of green hydrogen per year. The project has secured sig- nificant public funding – EUR18 million through the Ephyra initiative and EUR111.7 million from the Greek Recovery and Resilience Fund – dem- onstrating the level of institutional commitment to advancing the hydrogen economy. In parallel, the Ministry also identifies biometh- ane as a key contributor to Greece’s green goals, particularly through the conversion of biogas plants using organic waste and agricultural resi- dues. With around 80 biogas units currently in operation and 38 located near natural gas net- works, the country is well-positioned to facilitate a smooth transition into biomethane production, provided the regulatory clarity and investment incentives outlined in the draft bill are promptly enacted. Data centres Greece is rapidly emerging as a strategic des- tination for data centre investments in South- East Europe, thanks to its abundant renewables, expanding interconnection infrastructure and advantageous geographic location. This conver- gence of digital and energy transitions positions the country to lead both as a green power hub and a digital infrastructure node. A flagship example is PPC’s transformation of former lignite sites in Western Macedonia into clean energy and data infrastructure hubs. The plan combines large-scale RES, battery storage and a high-capacity data centre, illustrating how decarbonisation and digital growth can go hand-
in-hand. Similar projects are being explored in Attica, while major global tech players are rein- forcing this trend. Microsoft is advancing its multi-site investment near Athens, Google is progressing with its plans, and Digital Realty is expanding its footprint nationwide. Investor interest is broadening, with French, American and Gulf investors entering the market and Greek players scaling up operations in Thes- saloniki, Crete and beyond. Demand is fuelled by the growth of AI and cloud applications, as well as the sector’s pivot toward low-carbon operations. With energy being the largest oper- ational cost, the availability of affordable, green electricity is now a key driver. Greece’s push for renewables, grid upgrades, and green PPAs is enhancing its attractiveness, especially in syn- ergy with cross-border projects like the GREGY interconnector with Egypt. However, developers face significant challenges around high-voltage grid access. The institution- al framework for large consumers like data cent- ers remains underdeveloped compared to RES producers. Investors can submit multiple appli- cations for the same site or request excessive capacity without binding commitments, creating “virtual congestion” and deterring other invest- ments. IPTO has called for a dedicated permit- ting regime – similar to the RES producer cer- tificate – to streamline processes and improve planning. At the same time, spatial planning remains nas- cent. A joint effort by IPTO and relevant minis- tries aims to map available capacity by region, but poor interpretation of inter-regional depend- encies often leads to overestimations. As noted by IPTO officials, unlocking the sector’s full potential will require faster licensing procedures and clearer regulatory safeguards tailored to the
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