At the conference titled “Energy Transition Summit: Eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Europe,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that Greece “needs to be ready to join the nuclear alliance” and reminded the audience that his government made the decision in 2019 to rapidly phase out coal.
In an extensive interview published on the official government website, he discussed the country’s energy future.
“Only five percent of our electricity production now comes from coal, and it is mainly used as a reserve. We have recorded a significant increase in the share of renewables – now it’s over 50 percent, and those are our capacities,” he emphasized at the conference.
Mitsotakis mentioned that the country leans toward solar sources and highlighted the great potential of offshore wind energy.
He also stated that Greece is transforming into an energy hub and could become a supplier of energy security for countries as far as Ukraine.
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Regarding joining the nuclear alliance, Mitsotakis acknowledged that the statement may shock many since Greece lacks experience, but emphasized that the world cannot achieve carbon neutrality without nuclear energy.
“I have repeatedly pointed out at the European Council that Europe needs to take strategic positions in clean technology areas where it still has significant comparative advantages. I believe that nuclear energy must be one of those areas,” he said.
As for other energy sources, hydrogen is an option for Greece, but the country is more focused on energy storage, especially pumped storage systems, due to its geographical advantages.
“We have a major pumped storage project in Amfilochia, western Greece, which is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Fund and is progressing well. We have dams and hope there will be more rain to fill them to the maximum. This is an area I would place more focus on,” he stated.
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