In an article on energypress.gr titled “Lignite is leaving, but the questions remain,” Nikos Mantzaris reflects on the permanent shutdown of the Agios Dimitrios Power Plant, the largest lignite-fired plant in Greece and one of the largest in the Balkans, after 42 years of operation.
The article highlights the plant’s decisive role in the country’s economic development, as well as its significant environmental footprint in terms of CO₂ emissions, air pollutants, heavy metals, and natural resource consumption.
Despite the clear benefits of its closure for the climate and environment, Mantzaris stresses that critical challenges remain unresolved: the just transition of Western Macedonia, the future of district heating in Kozani, and the energy mix that will replace lignite at the national level.
The article concludes that public debate should focus on realistic solutions for the post-lignite era, rather than recycling outdated disputes about a potential “return” of lignite.
Read the full article [in Greek] here.
