Greece runs completely on renewable energy for first time

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
15 Oct 2022 06:50
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This is a significant milestone for Greek energy because "for the first time in the history of the Greek electricity system, demand was covered entirely by renewable energy sources."

Wind turbines are seen on a mountain in the town of Karystos, Greece. (Reuters)

Greece ran entirely on renewable energy for the first time in its history last week (IPTO), as per independent power transmission operator (IPTO).

On October 7, the country ran entirely on renewable energy for about five hours, reaching a record high of 3,106MWh at eight o'clock (GMT).

According to IPTO, this is a significant milestone for Greek energy because "for the first time in the history of the Greek electricity system, demand was covered entirely by renewable energy sources."

The operator stressed: "With the interconnections implemented by IPTO on land and sea, new electrical capacity is created for even greater RES [renewable energy sources] penetration that will make our energy mix even greener in the coming years.”

In the eight months leading up to August of this year, renewables accounted for 46% of the nation's power mix. This figure was up from 42% in the same period in 2021, according to The Green Tank, a Greece-based environmental think tank.

Green Tank described the occurrence as a "record of optimism for the country's transition to clean energy, weaning ourselves off fossil fuels, and ensuring our energy sufficiency."

In recent years, Greece has developed a diverse range of renewable energy sources. The goal is to use nonrenewables as little as possible.

Tilos, for example, is attempting to become completely self-sufficient in energy through renewables.

Greece currently outperforms the Netherlands, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and many other European countries in terms of renewable energy production.

However, Greece's transition to clean energy has not been without challenges.

Greece, like other European countries, reduced its reliance on Russian gas by increasing liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports to meet its needs. It has also increased coal mining, delaying its decarbonization plan.