March 2025 saw a decline in demand (-5.8%). RES production in the same month reached 2,299 GWh, despite increased curtailments (104 GWh), and reduced wind generation. However, the huge increase in fossil gas in the first quarter of 2025 (+2,142 GWh), which was directed mainly at exports, has led to a completely opposite picture to the one observed in the same period of the previous two years, when clean energy surpassed fossil fuels.
This analysis concerns electricity production across the whole territory of Greece and is based on the latest available monthly data from the Independent Power Transmission Operator (March 2025) for the interconnected grid and from the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO) for the non-interconnected islands (February 2025). In addition, we use the most recent data from HEDNO for low and medium voltage, as well as for the installed capacity of self-production systems (April 2025). The data from DAPEEP’s Renewable Energy Special Account bulletin up to February 2025 are used to calculate more accurately CHP production at low and medium voltage, as well as for the PV utilization factors needed to estimate self-production. You can read in more detail about our methodology here.
The month of March
In March 2025, renewables (mainly wind and solar) took the lead in electricity production with 2,299 GWh, thus halting the upward trend of fossil gas and returning to levels close to October 2024.
Fossil gas was down 38% from February, reaching 1,519 GWh. Lignite also saw a large drop, down 59.6% compared to February, reaching 177 GWh.
Large hydro continued a downward trend that had started in January 2025, and at 191 GWh they were at levels similar to lignite.
Total domestic demand was the lowest monthly in 2025 and it showed a slight decline by 5.8% from the previous month, reaching 4,357 GWh.
Net imports were reduced significantly to 36 GWh (91.8% reduction from February).
Day-ahead prices (in the wholesale market) had large fluctuations with a range from ~0 to 326.7 €/MWh. However, the average day-ahead price in March was 105.9 €/MWh showing a decrease compared to the first months of 2025. This decrease also reflects the change in this month’s power generation mix, namely the decrease in fossil gas and the increase in RES.
The first quarter of the year
Comparison of sources
Despite the decline in March, fossil gas at 6,334 GWh in the first quarter of 2025, continues to have the highest cumulative production in a decade. Production from renewables reached 5,784 GWh for the quarter, narrowing the gap with gas that had established up until February.
Lignite held third place with 1,127 GWh and at relatively high levels compared to the first quarter in 2024.
Large hydro fell to fourth place after oil, due to reduced production in this period. Oil, with 687 GWh this quarter, moved into third place, a trend not seen since 2000.
Net exports reached 858 GWh cumulatively for the first three months of 2025, a high for at least the last decade.
Shares of sources in meeting demand
Electricity demand in the first quarter of 2025 was 13,739 GWh, ending up at a level close to the average of the last five years (13,793 GWh for the period 2021-2025).
Fossil gas once again led the way in meeting demand with 46%, although renewables (mainly wind and solar) were a close second with a 42% share.
Large hydro covered only 4.8% of demand, a decrease compared to the same period in 2024 (6.7%). On the other hand, lignite covered 8.2% of demand, a slight increase compared to the first quarter of 2024 (7.9%).
The contribution of oil to non-interconnected islands remained stable at 5% of total demand.
Changes in the sources of demand coverage
Comparing the first quarter of 2025 with the same period of 2024, there is a decrease in RES (-136 GWh) and in large hydro (-241 GWh). The decrease in RES is mainly due to a decrease in wind generation (-369 GWh compared to the first quarter in 2024 in high voltage only). In contrast, production from PV increased in this period compared to last year (+357 GWh in high voltage only)
Fossil gas saw a huge increase (+2,142 GWh), at a level that significantly outweighs the decrease in clean sources (-376 GWh) and the increase in demand (+371 GWh). At the same time, net imports increased by +1,482 GWh, which demonstrates that most of gas electricity production was directed at electricity exports.
Lignite and oil production saw a slight increase of +87.6 GWh.
The corresponding percentage changes in the first three months of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024, were:
Lignite: +7.3%
Fossil gas: +51.1%
Renewables: -2.3%
Large hydro: -26.7%
Net imports: -237.6%
Oil: +1.6%
Demand: +2.9%
Comparison of clean energy with fossil fuels
The relative picture of clean energy (wind, solar, hydro, biomass and self-production) vs fossil fuels (fossil gas, lignite, oil) remains the same as in February, with fossil fuels outperforming clean energy.
More specifically, despite a decline in gas in March, fossil fuels reached 8,147 GWh. Similarly, despite a monthly increase in wind and solar generation, clean energy was limited to 6,445 GWh.
The huge increase in fossil gas production in the first quarter of 2025 has led to a completely opposite picture to the one observed in the corresponding period of the previous two years, when clean energy surpassed fossil fuels.
RES curtailment
According to the forecasts of the consolidated planning process published daily by ADMIE, curtailments during March reached 104 GWh, which is more than double the curtailment levels of March 2024 (49 GWh).
Avoiding these curtailments could offset the increase in electricity production based on lignite and oil (87.6 GWh), resulting in greater contribution of clean energy to the mix.