Archaeologists vs wind power
The national offshore wind farm development program is in danger of sinking in the deep waters off Crete, as archaeologists consider that wind turbines may be deleterious to the landscape of archaeological sites.
The fate of the program lies in the hands of the Central Archaeological Council (KAS), which in August issued a prohibition on three maritime plots off Crete, one of which had been qualified by the Ministry of Environment and Energy and the Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources Management Company (EDEFEP) as the most suitable for launching the program, based on its high wind potential and spatial characteristics (bald mountains with no tourist facilities within range), which, according to the ministry, do not pose any risk of local opposition.
The lifting or not of the prohibition by KAS, at least for this plot off northeastern Crete, will likely determine the overall fate of the ambitious (in the conception and initial preparation) national program for the development of offshore wind farms, which is subject to continuous restrictions.
Until late on Wednesday, the decision of the KAS on the review request submitted by the Energy Ministry had not been made known, as the relevant meeting was originally set for 2 p.m. and was later postponed to 6 p.m.
