Licence euphoria in Euboia

More good news to developers in Greece has come in the form of a "positive recommendation" from the Greek energy regulatory authority for 360 MW of wind projects. A positive signal is usually followed by a building licence from the development minister.

The announcement follows positive recommendations for 319 MW of wind projects earlier this year and 1159 MW of wind project licenses granted in the second half of 2001 by the ministry (Windpower Monthly, April 2002). "I think what this signifies is that development will happen in spite of all problems," says Ioannis Tsipouridis of the Hellenic Wind Energy Association. "There is no turning back. It may be slow, it may be painful, but it will happen."

With thousands of megawatts planned in Greece, wind developers have been forced to wait until major grid extensions are built to cope with taking new power generation onto the grid in most windy areas. The new recommendation from the regulator concerns 26 wind plant proposed for Euboia (table), the long island close to the mainland about 80 kilometres north east of Athens. Tsipouridis remarks that the area does have grid problems. "So the state will have to solve them here and now, so to speak," he adds.