• Commissioning of three large-scale photovoltaic clusters completed; total capacity of  930 MWp (884 MWac) now in operations
• Enough electricity to meet the annual demand of more than 400,000 Greek homes
• Further photovoltaic projects with a total capacity of 567 MWp (518 MWac) under construction; commissioning expected in 2027

Leading energy companies RWE and PPC are driving forward Greece’s energy transition with nearly one gigawatt of new solar capacity now in operation. The last of nine solar farms in Western Macedonia in Northern Greece has recently been commissioned. These solar projects are grouped into three large-scale photovoltaic clusters and have a total capacity of 930 MWp (884 MWac).

Within the boundaries of the former Amynteo open-cast lignite mine, joint venture Meton Energy S.A., RWE (51% share) and PPC (49% share) has developed, constructed and commissioned these nine solar farms, which embody the companies’ commitment to the green energy transition and turn Greece’s historical coal heartland to a clean energy generation area.

During the construction phase, hundreds of direct and indirect jobs were created. Moreover, Meton Energy S.A. has agreed with local municipalities to invest in compensatory projects within the region as well as to engage in community sponsorships and donations.

Sopna Sury, CEO RWE Renewables Europe & Australia: “The commissioning of these three large-scale photovoltaic clusters marks a significant milestone and showcases the strong cooperation between the teams at PPC and RWE. Together, we have built solar farms which are generating enough green electricity to power the equivalent of 400,000 Greek households. With nearly one gigawatt of solar capacity now in operation and two additional large-scale projects under construction, we are underlining our long-term commitment to Greece’s energy transition.”

Konstantinos Mavros, Deputy CEO RES PPC Group: “The completion of these projects highlights PPC’s commitment to Greece’s energy transition and our footprint in Western Macedonia in particular. We will continue to invest in renewables, aiming for 19 GW by the end of 2030. At the same time, we are strengthening our momentum by rapidly integrating energy storage projects into our portfolio, as well as with the company’s transformation into a Powertech Group.”

Charilaos Mitrelias, CEO of RWE Renewables Hellas and CEO of Meton Energy S.A.: “These projects symbolise a new chapter for Western Macedonia – a region that is steadily but surely transforming from being a centre of lignite-based power generation into a hub for renewable energy. Through our partnership with PPC, we are not only investing in clean power, but also in sustainable new opportunities for local communities and skilled jobs for the future. The successful completion of these solar farms strongly demonstrates the extent to which great collaboration can contribute towards Greece achieving its energy transition targets.”

In addition to operating the three Amynteo photovoltaic clusters, the partners are currently constructing two new solar projects in the administrative region of Central Macedonia in Northern Greece. Kotyli and Neo Syrakio solar farms will have a total capacity of 567 MWp (518 MWac). When they are commissioned in 2027, annual generation is expected to be sufficient to meet the energy needs of more than 240,000 Greek households.