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The Greek ministry of energy has finally submitted a new national energy and climate plan to the European Commission. It aims to reduce dependence on lignite power and increase the use of renewable energy. EURACTIV Greece reports.

Greece’s majority state-owned power utility, Public Power Corporation (PPC), has developed its 2018-2022 strategic and business plan with the support of its advisor, envisaging the company’s expansion to foreign markets and boosting the share of renewables in its overall energy generation mix, among other matters, according to an announcement from PPC. The advisor is consulting firm McKinsey & Company, according to reports.

The document, designed to safeguard PPC’s resilience and transform it into “a modern and cutting edge utility,” calls for increasing the participation of renewable energy sources, mostly wind and solar, in the company’s generation mix by around 600 MW by 2022. It sets the target of a 20%-25% share of renewable energy sources in PPC’s total capacity by 2030-2035.

By making use of solar, water and wind power, Greece is considering switching to RES not only for environmentally ethical purposes but also to sustain and boost the economy of the islands, as such a move will signal a significant reduction in the cost of storing and producing energy.

This new approach has also been highlighted in the goals envisaged by the country’s National Energy and Climate Plan.

The Hellenic Energy Exchange has been founded as part of the EU’s target model to create a single energy market, Greece’s Environment and Energy Ministry said.

Mining for lignite - or brown coal - in Greece is a huge industry. But for residents of villages in the extraction areas of West Macedonia, it has many impacts, from displacement to health problems

PPC Renewables, a wholly-owned green energy subsidiary of PPC, is ready to develop 700 MW in RES capacity, mostly in the wind and photovoltaics.