Climate & Energy

In 2023, for the first time clean energy (renewables and large hydro) with 25,407 GWh covered more than half of the demand (51.4%) and 57% of electricity production. Fossil gas continued its “free fall” for the 2nd consecutive year. The share of lignite in the electricity production fell below 10% (9.1%) for the first time as the country operated without lignite for 28 days. Demand in 2023 was the lowest in the last ten years (49,479 GWh), down 2.4% compared to 2022.

Interview on the radio show Euranet, SKAI 100.3 FM with Korina Georgiou. The Green Tank's data analyst, Ioanna Souka, presents Greece's energy performance in 2023, and analyses the factors that will enhance Greece's shift to renewable energy sources. The discussion follows the news report by K. Voutsadakis for the Athens - Macedonian News Agency on the energy records of 2023, which draws on The Green Tank's analyses.

Drawing on The Green Tank's analyses for electricity production, C02 emissions of the sector, fossil gas consumption and imports and the participation of citizens in energy communities and self-production projects, journalist Kostas Voutsadakis lists the energy records of 2023 for the Athens - Macedonian News Agency.

The Green Tank contributed to the podcast series "The Future of Energy" with journalist Romanos Gkotzos, produced by Cinergies Co-Op and supported by the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Greece.

Fossil gas consumption in 2023 was 50.91 TWh, down 10.1% compared to 2022 and 27.2% compared to 2021, the year the energy crisis started. Industry sector increased its gas use by 84.7% compared to 2022, while the other two uses, namely electricity and distribution networks, recorded a decrease of 17.1% and 8.1% respectively. Total gas imports were 53.94 TWh, down 13% compared to 2022 and 23.3% compared to 2021. Greece dropped to 10th place among the EU-27 Member States in terms of gas consumption decrease in the first 11 months of 2023 (-10.5%) compared to the same period in 2022,

In the first 11 months of 2023, 13.35 million tonnes of CO2 were emitted from Greece's power sector, decreased by 3.91 million tonnes (-22.6%) compared to the same period in 2022. Even greater reduction in emissions from PPC's thermal power plants (-24.9%).

Opinion article by Nikos Mantzaris in the special feature of energypress.gr on the experience of 2023, the challenges and expectations of 2024.

Renewables without large hydro (19,642 GWh) exceeded fossil gas and lignite combined (17,474 GWh) in the first eleven months of 2023, by 2.2 TWh, while together with large hydro (23,190 GWh) they covered more than half of demand in the eleven-month period (51.2%).

Contribution by Nikos Mantzaris to the round table discussion titled "Financing the Just Transition: From ETS2 to the Social Climate Fund" as part of the workshop "Economic challenges of the energy transition in Greece & Europe" organized by the ENA Institute of Alternative Policies.

Greece reduced its gas consumption by 10.4% in the period April - November 2023 compared to the corresponding period in the 5-year period 2017-2021, almost 5 percentage points away from the EU voluntary target of -15% set in April 2023.

In the first 10 months of 2023, 12.33 million tonnes of CO2 were emitted from Greece's power sector, decreased by 3.79 million tonnes (-23.5%) compared to the same period in 2022. Even greater reduction in emissions from PPC's thermal power plants (-26.2%).

Renewables and large hydro (21,069 GWh) covered more than half of the demand (50.8%) in the first ten months of 2023. In October 2023 the highest monthly production from large hydro (441 GWh) for 2023 was recorded. Additionally, it was the second net export month for 2023 after September, with net exports of 99 GWh. On the other hand, lignite and fossil gas recorded increase compared to October 2022 (+29.2% and +67.3% respectively).

Letter by The Green Tank to Greek MEPs

In October the highest share of Russian pipeline gas imports was recorded (64.5%) since the start of the energy crisis in 2021.