17 December 2018
Lower prices for onshore wind in second Greek renewables auction
Onshore wind won almost 160 MW of capacity in Greece’s second renewables auction. The prices were competitive, coming in within a range of €55–65/MWh.
This price level is lower than in Greece’s first onshore wind auction in July 2018, where onshore wind prices were between €68-72/MWh.
Nine wind projects in total won. All of them have both an environmental license and grid connection license. All of them are located in North and Central Greece.
WindEurope’s Head of Advocacy & Messaging Joël Meggelaars said: “These are impressive results. The average price level is even lower than in the last French and German onshore auctions. The fact that prices have come down is a signal of confidence from investors in the outlook for wind energy in Greece. The high level of competition and the participation of big investors with large wind portfolios in Greece and the wider region has helped to create a downward pressure on prices.
“These results are a clear sign that wind can deliver affordable electricity to Greek consumers and businesses. Greece should now look to be more ambitious on wind in its National Energy and Climate Plan for 2030. This kind of ambition and deployment outlook will help Greece to attract new investments, enjoy further cost reductions and create local economic benefits.
But the cost of obtaining a permit for windfarms in Greece remains an issue. The winners in this auction already anticipated these costs as they began developing their projects almost a decade ago. The Greek Government should look at simplifying the permitting procedure. And give more transparency on the length of time needed for environmental assessment, spatial planning and grid connection procedures.”
