Greece prepares for the next phase of battery storage growth – SPE

By ESS news

Last year, Greece generated 57% of its electricity demand from renewable energy sources. This year, the country is expected to score an even higher percentage of renewable electricity, although this success comes with the thorny issue of curtailing excess green energy at times when the electricity system cannot accommodate it. That is why Greece has, rather belatedly, turned its attention to energy storage.

So far, the country is running a 1 GW program that focuses on standalone batteries placed in front of the meter. Greece has already conducted two tenders awarding around 700 MW of battery storage projects. A call for the third tender of the program, which specifically targets battery systems in former coal mining areas, is in the pipeline. Awarded projects under the 1 GW program receive government subsidies in the form of capital expenditure and subsidies for operating expenditure.

Greek Environment and Energy Minister Theodoros Skylakakis told a local energy conference in Athens earlier in July that the country is blessed with exceptional renewable energy resources and that to reap the benefits, it must accelerate the development of energy storage.

In line with this, Skylakakis said the ministry is working on a plan that will open up the battery storage market in two ways. Firstly, the co-location of batteries behind the meter next to existing photovoltaic installations is made possible. And second, allowing new standalone batteries in front of the meter without the support of government subsidies.

Both policies could prove to be important milestones in the country’s energy transition plan. However, there are many crucial details that need to be specified before the new policy can have meaning.

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