Grid connection permit process

• Law No. 3468/2006
• Law No. 4152/2013

For RES plants, HEDNO (RES plants below 8 MW) or IPTO (RES plants above 8 MW) issues a non-binding preliminary Grid Connection Offer (GCO) immediately after the issuance of the Certification of RES Producer. After the EIA approval, IPTO or HEDNO check whether the transmission/ distribution grid can accommodate the RES project. The preliminary GCO describes a provisional solution for connecting the RES plant to the electricity grid (art. 8 Law No. 3468/2006).
If there is enough capacity in the local electricity grid and the connection solution from the preliminary GCO can be implemented without any technical problem, the System Operator (IPTO or HEDNO) issues the Binding Grid Connection Offer (BGCO). If not, the System Operator suggests an alternative solution or does not proceed with the issuance of a BGCO.
Within 2 months after the BGCO issuance, the plant developer must pay a Bank Guarantee to the System Operator. The amount is contingent upon the project’s total capacity and varies between EUR 7/kW (for capacity above 100MW) and EUR 42/kW (for capacity below 1MW).
In addition, the plant operator has to pay the full amount for all grid connection works realised by IPTO/ HEDNO (par. I.1.2. Law No. 4152/2013).
A similar but less complicated process is followed for smaller RES Plants. More specifically, for RES projects that are not obliged to obtain a Certification of RES Producer and an EIA approval (PV < 1MW in Category B projects), the grid connection offer is automatically binding (BGGO) (art. 8 3468/2006).

• IPTO
• HEDNO