The upward trend in power sector emissions continued in August, reaching 1.38 million tonnes (+7.8% compared with July), driven by increased use of lignite and fossil gas, despite the record level of renewable energy generation recorded in the same month. With the addition of August’s emissions, cumulative sector emissions since the beginning of 2026 reached 9.6 million tonnes, exceeding the carbon budget set under the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) for the whole of 2026.
According to the latest available electricity production data (August 2026 for the interconnected grid and July 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
For the fourth consecutive month, power sector emissions increased compared with the previous month. Thus, despite the record-high monthly renewable electricity generation in August 2026, CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel-fired power generation units increased by 7.8% compared with July, reaching 1.38 million tonnes. The increase was driven by all three fossil fuels (lignite, fossil gas, and oil), although the largest share was attributable to the significant increase in generation from Ptolemaida 5, the last lignite-fired power plant still in operation. Compared with August 2025, total CO₂ emissions also increased by 7.9%, primarily due to higher emissions from lignite and, to a lesser extent, oil.
Cumulatively, during the first eight months of 2026, emissions from power generation units reached 9.6 million tonnes, the lowest level ever recorded for this period of the year. Compared with 2025, emissions were down by 10.4%. This performance was mainly driven by the power generation units in Crete, which, thanks to the new completed interconnection, reduced their use of oil. As a result, emissions from these units decreased by 45% compared with the same period in 2025.
Carbon intensity of the electricity sector
The increase in monthly total emissions also led to an increase in the sector’s monthly carbon intensity, which reached 207.8 g CO₂/kWh, up 1.9% compared with July. However, compared with August 2025, carbon intensity decreased by 4.6%. Although absolute emissions increased compared with August 2025, total electricity generation was significantly higher in August 2026, resulting in a slight decrease in carbon intensity.
During the first eight months of 2026, average carbon intensity stood at 214.4 g CO₂/kWh, down 20.1% compared with the 2025 average, reaching a new record low for the sector.
This performance would have been even better if renewable energy curtailments had been reduced. These are estimated at 1,905 GWh for the first eight months of the year (8.1% of total renewable energy generation), according to ADMIE’s ISP2 and ISP3 forecasts. If the curtailed energy had been stored and subsequently used to reduce electricity generation from gas and lignite, average carbon intensity would have been 193.8 g CO₂/kWh, 9.6% lower than the actual level.
Emissions per fuel
During the first eight months of 2026, fossil gas maintained the largest share of the sector’s emissions, with cumulative emissions of 5.8 million tonnes and a 60% share of the total. Compared with the same period in 2025, emissions from gas-fired power plants decreased only slightly (-2.6%). However, they were the second-highest on record, after those in 2025, and 9.3% higher than emissions recorded during the same period in 2024.
Lignite-fired power plants emitted 2.44 million tonnes during the first eight months of the year, maintaining a significant share of total emissions at 25.4%.
Finally, oil-fired power plants on the non-interconnected islands emitted a cumulative 1.13 million tonnes, accounting for 11.8% of total emissions. This was the lowest level of emissions recorded for this period of the year, down 45% compared with the same period in 2025.
Emissions per thermal power plant
The Agios Dimitrios lignite-fired power plant remained in first place among the largest polluters during the first eight months of 2026, despite its permanent closure on May 15. It emitted a cumulative 1.58 million tonnes, accounting for 16.4% of the sector’s total emissions during this period.
The Agios Nikolaos II fossil gas-fired power plant ranked second, with 0.9 million tonnes, while the Komotini Thermal Power Plant moved into third place with 0.86 million tonnes, narrowly ahead of the Ptolemaida 5 lignite-fired plant, which emitted virtually the same amount. Rounding out the top five largest polluters during the first eight months of 2026 was another gas-fired unit, Megalopoli V, with 0.84 million tonnes.
In the Non-Interconnected Islands, following the interconnection of Crete, the five largest polluters during the first seven months of 2026 were the two power plants in Rhodes, followed by the plants in Thira, Kos, and Lesvos. Specifically, the Rhodes power plant emitted 0.229 million tonnes, the Nea Rhodes power plant 0.163 million tonnes, Thira 0.161 million tonnes, Kos 0.139 million tonnes, and Lesvos 0.106 million tonnes.
Comparison with NECP
Despite the progress made during the first eight months of 2026 in reducing power sector emissions (mainly due to lower oil-related emissions), the continued heavy reliance on fossil gas appears to be putting the country off track from its commitments under the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP).
More specifically, according to the final updated NECP, the sector’s emissions should not have exceeded 10.2 million tonnes in 2025, while by 2030 they should not exceed 4 million tonnes. Assuming that the reduction in emissions between 2025 and 2030 is linear, the carbon budget for the power sector in 2026 amounts to 8.96 million tonnes.
The data show that during the first eight months of 2026, the sector exhausted its NECP-based carbon budget, as it is estimated to have emitted 9.6 million tonnes, exceeding the limit by 0.65 million tonnes.
You can see the evolution of emissions in the electricity sector from 2013 to date and read the analyses of previous months here.
