Obstacles in offshore wind farm development in Greece dampen investors’ hopes
Freedom for the development of offshore wind farms in Greece is no longer what investors hoped it would be.
Criteria such as national maritime territory up to 6 miles off land in the Aegean Sea and off Crete, as well as the inflexible operational plans of the Hellenic Armed Forces, have excluded more than half of the areas that had been included in the original plan for the development of offshore wind farms in Greece’s seas.
Restrictions have also been imposed on the boundaries of the zones in the Cyclades for reasons of tourism development, therefore the areas with the richest offshore wind potential have been excluded.
Competent sources tell Kathimerini this will lead to a fragmentation of projects, meaning increased installation and operation costs, as more infrastructure is required, and an increased burden on consumers because these are projects that will receive operational support for 20 years.
That is confirmed by investors who saw some of the richest areas in wind potential ruled out for national reasons, which of course they understand. “Instead of a large area where many offshore wind farm blocks could be developed, we’ll have many remote and relatively small blocks,” notes an industry representative.
