Greece has published the long-awaited draft for the offshore wind development program, taking a big step towards realizing the country’s first commercial offshore wind farms. Key points in the draft presented by the Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources Management Company (HEREMA) and the Ministry of Environment and Energy are:

• Outlining 25 areas as suitable for the development of offshore wind, with an estimated minimum capacity of 12.4 GW over 2,712 square kilometers.
• 10 sites eligible for development in a first stage (purple), with an estimated development by 2030-2032 and a total capacity of 4.9 GW.
• 13 sites eligible for a second stage (green) of development, set to after 2032, totaling 7.5 GW.
• 2 pilot areas, located in northern Greece, off the coast of Alexandroupoli.
• A total of 1.4 GW in locations for fixed installations, 10.4 GW for floating locations, and 600 MW in the pilot areas.

Final approval of the program is expected by the end of the year, and the proposed areas could be officially declared as offshore wind areas by the end of 2024. According to HERAMA, the sites in the first phase could become available to developers from 2025.

Image source: Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources Management Company (HEREMA)