Greece’s Ministry of Environment and Energy will simplify the environmental licensing of renewable energy projects by classifying more schemes in lower environmental subcategories.
Environment minister Kostis Hatzidakis on Monday unveiled a decision through which the ministry seeks to radically reduce the average licensing time for renewable energy projects to two years from the current five to seven years.
When it comes to solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, the amendment exempts power plans with a capacity up to 1 MW from environmental licensing. Up until recently, the limit for PV parks was 0.5 MW.
In addition, solar projects ranging in size from 1 MW to 10 MW will now benefit from quick use-of-land approvals, while previously the upper limit was 2 MW. That limit has also been lifted with regard to wind projects and is now set at 10 MW rather than 5 MW.
The ministry’s announcement also mentions that from now on energy storage projects that are coupled with renewables will fall into the subcategory of the main project.