Greece to get €24 million to finance wind farms under EU Juncker Plan

BRUSSELS (ANA/ C. Vasilaki) The European Investment Bank (EIB) on Thursday announced the signature of a financing agreement with Terna Energy Group, giving 24 million euros available under the Juncker Plan for the development, construction and operation of three wind farms in Viotia Prefecture in central Greece. 

The Greek bank Eurobank Ergasias acted as a co-lender, the announcement mentioned, while the EIB's loan "benefits from the support of the EU budget guarantee under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the financial instrument of the Investment Plan for Europe."

"The EIB is committed to financing green energy projects across the European Union. We are particularly pleased that this project promotes renewable and clean energy for the people of Greece, but it also enhances energy security and will help the country meet its renewable energy targets. This is precisely the kind of operation the Investment Plan for Europe was designed to support. I am delighted about this further step to bring the benefits of the European Fund for Strategic Investments to Greece. Looking ahead, the EIB is following developments in the Greek electricity sector and stands ready to finance sound projects that fulfil its criteria and EU energy policies," noted Jonathan Taylor, EIB Vice-President responsible for lending in Greece.

European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen, responsible for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, stressed: "Today's agreement is another clear demonstration of the Commission's commitment to supporting the mobilisation of investments in Greece that will contribute to securing the country's recovery. It also shows how the Investment Plan contributes to achieving the Commission's wider strategic objectives, in this case facilitating Europe's transition to a low-carbon economy."

The project includes the development, construction and operation of three windfarms with a combined installed capacity of 48.6 MW in Viotia, central Greece. A total of 18 turbines - eight for one location and five for each of the other two - will be built. The windfarms, located in Dervenochoria and Tanagra in Viotia in central Greece, will connect to two existing substations through approximately 16.5 km of underground cabling.

Situated on top of neighbouring mountain ridges north-west of Athens, and at an altitude of between 800 m and 1 000 m above sea level where the wind resource is excellent, the wind park should generate more than 120 GWh per year for the Greek electricity system.

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Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Leaflet License: CC-BY-SA

Source: ANA-MPA