Emissions from electricity generation rose in July to 1.28 million tons (+25.6% compared to June), mainly due to increased gas use, which also pushed the carbon intensity above 200 g CO2/kWh (204 g CO2/kWh, +12.5%). However, for the first 7 months of 2026, emissions from the sector reached a historic low (8.23 million tons), mainly due to reduced use of lignite and oil in non-interconnected islands. Despite this historic low, the country has already emitted more than 90% of its annual carbon budget and is off track to meet the NECP the electricity production sector.
According to the latest available electricity production data (July 2026 for the interconnected grid and June 2026 the non-interconnected islands) and those of annual CO2 emissions from the ETS (2025), monthly emissions are estimated (for the Greek electricity generation units participating in the ETS), following the methodology and assumptions presented here.
Total sectoral emissions
In July 2026, CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel power plants increased by 25.6% compared to June, reaching 1.28 million tons. This increase was driven by higher emissions from all three fossil fuels (lignite, gas, and oil), though the largest increase was attributed to fossil gas. Compared to July of last year, total CO2 emissions were down by 30.8%, mainly due to lower emissions from lignite and oil.
Cumulatively for the first seven months of 2026, emissions from fossil-fuel power plants reached 8.23 million tons, a historic low for this time of year. Compared to 2025, emissions were down by 12.9%. This performance is primarily attributable to the power plants on Crete, which, thanks to the new integrated interconnection, reduced their use of oil for electricity production, resulting in a 46.1% decrease in emissions compared to 2025.
Carbon intensity of the electricity sector
The increase in overall monthly emissions also led to a rise in the sector’s monthly carbon intensity, which stood at 204.7 g CO2/kWh, up 12.5% compared to June, when carbon intensity was at a historic low. However, compared to July of last year, the carbon intensity decreased by 26.9%.
For the first seven months of 2026, the average carbon intensity stood at 215.7 g CO2/kWh, down 19.7% compared to the average carbon intensity in 2025, marking a new all-time low for the sector.
This performance would have been even better if RES curtailments had been limited; these are estimated at 1,746 GWh for the first seven months of the year (8.9% of total RES generation) according to IPTO’s ISP2 and ISP3 forecasts. If the curtailed energy had been stored and used to displace electricity generation from fossil gas and lignite, then the average carbon intensity would have been 187 g CO2/kWh, or 13.3% lower than the observed value.
Emissions per fuel
In the first seven months of 2026, fossil gas accounted for the largest share of the sector’s emissions, with a total of 4.9 million tons, representing 59.6% of the total. Compared to the same period in 2025, emissions from gas-fired plants decreased by 4.8%; however, they were the second-highest on record after those of 2025, and 10.5% higher than emissions in 2024 for the same period.
Lignite-fired power plants accounted for the next-largest share, at 26.6% of total emissions. They emitted a combined 2.19 million tons in the first seven months of the year, reaching a historic low. Compared to the first seven months of 2025, emissions from lignite-fired power plants decreased by 9.5%.
Finally, oil-fired power plants on non-interconnected islands emitted a total of 0.9 million tons, accounting for 11% of the total and marking the lowest emissions for this period of the year. Compared to the same period in 2025, emissions decreased by 46.1%.
Emissions per thermal power plant
The lignite-fired Agios Dimitrios power plant remained the largest emitter during the first seven months of 2026, despite being permanently retired on 15 May. It emitted 1.58 million tonnes of CO₂, accounting for 19.2% of the power sector’s total emissions for this period of the year.
The second-largest emitter was the Agios Nikolaos II Power Plant fossil gas power plant, with emissions of 0.8 million tonnes of CO₂, followed by Megalopolis V Power Plant with 0.72 million tonnes. The top five was completed by the Komotini fossil gas plant (0.71 million tonnes) and the Ptolemaida V lignite-fired plant (0.61 million tonnes).
Following the interconnection of Crete, the five largest emitters among the non-interconnected islands during the first seven months of 2026 were the power stations of Rhodes, South Rhodes, Thira, Kos and Lesvos. Their respective emissions amounted to 0.18, 0.13, 0.126, 0.11 and 0.089 million tonnes of CO₂.
Comparison with NECP
Despite the progress achieved during the first seven months of 2026, the power sector’s continued reliance on fossil gas is putting Greece off track to meet the emissions targets set out in the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP).
According to the final revised NECP, greenhouse gas emissions from the power generation sector should not have exceeded 10.2 million tonnes of CO₂ in 2025 and should be limited to 4.0 million tonnes by 2030. Assuming a linear reduction in emissions over this period, the sector’s carbon budget for 2026 is estimated at 8.96 million tonnes of CO₂.
During the first seven months of 2026, the power sector is estimated to have emitted 8.23 million tonnes of CO₂, equivalent to 91.9% of its annual carbon budget. As a result, there is less than 1 million tons of emissions remaining for the year for the country to meet its NECP commitments.
You can see the evolution of emissions in the electricity sector from 2013 to date and read the analyses of previous months here.
