The road for the utilization of the rich solar and wind potential of the Aegean islands for the production of “green” electricity is generated by the electrical interconnections launched by the Independent Electricity Transmission Operator.
It is estimated that capacity that is being created for photovoltaic and wind farms with a total capacity of 2.4 GW, with market participants estimating that the amount of investments by electricity generators may exceed 2.5 billion euros.
Only from the operation of the “small” electrical interconnection of the Peloponnese with Crete, on the island opens room for RES with a total capacity of 160 MW. The completion of the large interconnection of Crete with Attica in 2023 will add another 600 MW, while it is estimated that through the existing grid the production of new RES in the prefectures of the main island will approach 1.1 GW.
After the implementation of all four phases of the interconnections of the Cyclades (second half of 2024) there will be room in the transmission system for new RES projects with a total capacity of 332 MW. More specifically 72 MW in Andros and Tinos , 160 MW in Syros, Paros, Mykonos, and Naxos, and 100 MW in Santorini, Folegandros, Milos, and Serifos .
The margin for the development of new RES in Dodecanese and islands of the Northeast Aegean will rise to 1.03 GW: 360 MW in Samos, Chios, and 570 MW in Lesvos , Lemnos, Kos, Rhodes and Karpathos, and 100 MW in Skyros .
The electrical interconnections in the two island regions will be constructed in three phases with a gradual completion horizon in 2027, 2028 and 2029, respectively.
