The significant growth in renewable energy sources (RES) and the drastic reduction in carbon emissions were emphasized by the Chairman and CEO of PPC during the introductory discussion at the Euroelectric Power Summit. He stated that PPC has already retired 60% of its lignite units, with plans to completely phase them out by 2026, while also implementing the largest renewable energy project development plan in the Southeast Europe region. Currently, PPC has 4.7 GW in operation, a capacity set to double over the next three years.

In his speech, Mr. George Stassis mentioned that the transition to clean energy sources comes with high variability in electricity generation. To address this, increased flexibility through electrical interconnections and the digitization of the distribution network, which will enable demand flexibility through the integration of “smart” meters, will be crucial.

“At PPC, digitization is a crucial pillar of our business plan, not only with the installation of ‘smart’ meters, where we are speeding up in Greece, as we have fallen a bit behind, but also in Romania, where we are at a more advanced stage. Additionally, we are implementing the Fiber to the Home program and entering new activities such as data centers, in partnership with Damac.”

According to PPC’s management, now is the time for Europe to develop its own technologies, as it has so far been a user of technologies developed elsewhere in the world. They emphasized the remarkable progress Southeast Europe has made in the energy transition in recent years, especially considering the challenges posed by the pandemic and the energy crisis.