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MORE puts 43.2 MW wind park in northern Greece into regular operation

Motor Oil Renewable Energy (MORE) received the operating license for its 43.2 MW wind power plant near the border with North Macedonia. The facility was in test operation since the fourth quarter of 2023.

MORE has 839 MW in renewable electricity plants in operation, aiming to reach 2 GW by 2030. There is already almost 3 GW in the project pipeline. The subsidiary of oil refiner Motor Oil Hellas recently received the operating license for its Kellas (Kella) wind park in Amyntaio in the Western Macedonia region.

The facility was in test operation since the fourth quarter of 2023. It has 43.2 MW in nominal capacity, while the maximum is 40 MW. The wind power plant, consisting of nine Nordex N-149 turbines, is near the border with North Macedonia.

The parent company financed the endeavor by buying a EUR 41.3 million bond that a project firm issued. In 2023 it refinanced it with EUR 47 million. MORE said that it recently also completed a wind farm in Phocis (Fokida). The combined capacity with the one in Amyntaio is 65 MW.

Partnership with Terna Energy for Greece’s first offshore wind park

The renewable energy company is planning floating and conventional wind farms as well. Its joint venture with Masdar’s Terna Energy, called Aioliki Provata Traianoupoleos, is developing a 400 MW project for a site on the Ionian Sea between Alexandroupolis and the island of Samothrace. It would be Greece’s first offshore wind power plant.

MORE’s solar power joint venture with PPC Renewables, the green energy branch of government-controlled Public Power Corp., has received final connection offers earlier this month for 882.4 MW. Six locations, for 742.4 MW altogether, are in the Kozani region, a 92 MW project is in Kilkis and another one, of 48 MW, is in Serres, all in northern Greece.

The idea is to sell the electricity to the Greek industry through bilateral power purchase agreements (PPAs), as well as to support farmers participating in the GAIA program, with a special tariff.

The two renewable energy companies already have final connection offers for 300 MW and they expect another 311 MW soon. Separately, PPC and Motor Oil are planning a 50 MW hydrogen production facility, as Hellenic Hydrogen.

MORE invested over EUR 1.6 billion in past two years

MORE said it invested over EUR 1.6 billion in the past two years. It entered a partnership in 2024 in Romania with Premier Energy for solar power plants with storage. MORE’s battery projects are underway in Greece, too.

GEK Terna and Motor Oil have built an 877 MW gas power plant in Komotini, in the region of East Macedonia and Thrace. The facility is about to enter regular operation, Energypress reported.

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Terna Energy to build solar power plant of 130 MW in Bulgaria

Terna Energy is developing a project for a 130 MW photovoltaic plant near Burgas in Bulgaria. The company, owned by Masdar, plans to connect it to the grid already by the end of next year. Recently it also reached landmark points in the development of wind power projects in Greece.

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co. (Masdar), which has high ambitions for its expansion in Southeastern Europe, relies to a great extent on its recently acquired subsidiary Terna Energy. The Greek company revealed that it is preparing to install a 130 MW solar park near the village of Vratitsa in eastern Bulgaria.

The project in the municipality of Kameno in Burgas province includes design and procurement, as well as grid connection works including a new 33/110 kV substation. Terna Energy Group said it is targeting completion by the end of 2026.

As part of the strategic cooperation with the former parent company, GEK Terna, its construction arm Terna SA was selected as the contractor, the announcement reads.

Terna Energy operates two wind farms in Bulgaria, with 30 MW in overall capacity.

With its recent share purchases, Masdar boosted its stake in the Greek company to 97.6% from 87.9%. The green energy giant based in the United Arab Emirates acquired Terna Energy last year.

Wind power projects in Evia progressing

In other recent news, Terna Energy received operating licenses for four projects for a wind power complex. The sites are in Karystos in Greece’s second largest island – Evia, also known as Euboea. It is one of the country’s wind power hubs and an important area for the company.

The Terna Energy Omalies subsidiary is responsible for the said investments, of 78 MW in total. They are part of an endeavor consisting of 11 wind farms.

The location for the biggest of the four, at 36 MW and with 12 turbines, is called Praro. The company ordered 3 MW machines from Enercon for all the sites. Molizeza 1 and Kalamaki 2 are for 18 MW each, and Kalamaki would have 6 MW.

Joint venture with MORE for Greece’s first offshore wind farm

Of note, the construction of wind parks in the Balkans has mostly slowed down. Moreover, Bulgaria has been at a standstill since the first wave of investments died down more than a decade ago, while Romania is struggling to pick up pace. Greece added only 125 MW last year.

Terna Energy is counting on opportunities in the offshore wind domain. In January, it joined forces with Greek refiner Motor Oil in the pilot project for the country’s first facility of the kind.

Motor Oil Renewable Energy (MORE) now holds 50% of joint venture Aioliki Provata Traianoupoleos. The project firm is tasked with developing a 400 MW offshore wind power plant on the Ionnian Sea between Alexandroupolis and the island of Samothrace. The two companies aim to complete it by the end of the decade.

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