57% of the energy mix covered by photovoltaics, wind, and hydroelectric power

2023 marked a historic milestone in Greece’s clean energy production, with 57% of the energy mix being supplied by Renewable Energy Sources (wind and solar) and hydroelectric units, surpassing 25 TWh. In 2022, the corresponding percentage was 50.12%.

The rapid development of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in our country in recent years is reflected in the data provided by IPTO. Specifically, in 2023, the annual production of green energy reached a decade-high, touching 21.35 TWh, marking a 147% increase compared to the annual RES electricity production in 2014 (8.64 TWh). The highest monthly production of RES in the history of the electrical system occurred in August 2023, reaching 2.25 TWh.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that, for the first time, RES production exceeded 1.5 TWh per month throughout the year.

Concerning demand, over the last decade, the coverage of total demand by RES production increased by 151%, reaching over 43% in 2023, the highest percentage recorded so far.

Additionally, last year witnessed a further reduction in lignite’s contribution to the domestic energy mix, reaching a historic low of 10.1%. This decrease reflects the significant progress of the country’s lignite phase-out program—given that in 2014, energy production from lignite exceeded 54%—and the continuous upward trend of environmentally friendly energy sources.

The Minister of Environment and Energy, Mr. Theodoros Skylakakis, emphasized, “The increased penetration of Renewable Energy Sources into our energy mix is a strategic choice of the government. We believe that it will contribute significantly to the green transition, lower electricity prices, and the energy security of our country. The initiatives we are taking to this end yield results, as reflected in the recent, highly encouraging data announced by IPTO, indicating a 147% increase in renewable energy production over the last decade and a record year for clean electricity production in Greece in 2023.”

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The Chairman and CEO of IPTO, Mr. Manos Manousakis, stated, “IPTO contributes to the rapid development of green energy in recent years by timely granting connection terms and connecting new RES stations that are being constructed at the fastest possible pace. Through its decade-long investment plan of 5 billion euros, the Operator is continuously expanding the electricity system, increasing its capacity from 18 GW today to 29 GW by 2030, allowing the introduction of even more RES units. At the same time, the international interconnections promoted by IPTO will enable Greece to become a strong exporter of energy from Renewable Sources.”