Abbreviated form of legal source
- Law No. 4685/2020
- RES Special Spatial Plan
Description of the process
Site selection for renewable energy installations in Greece is primarily defined in the RES Special Spatial Plan (Ministerial Decree 49828/2008). This step applies to all new installations. It should also be noted that the RES Special Spatial Plan was also approved by the State Council (Higher Administrative Court). The site selection is examined and approved at the ‘Administrative authorisation’ stage.
For onshore wind
The location of each wind farm is based on specific criteria such as:
• The load-bearing capacity of areas (maximum density of typical wind turbines per municipality) for wind farm development (4% on non-interconnected islands, 5% in wind suitable areas (continental Greece except wind priority areas), and 8% in wind priority areas
• Excluded areas
• Criteria for the inclusion of onshore wind in the landscape, and
• Minimum distances from various land uses.
For ground-mounted PV
Restrictions mainly concern PV ground-mounted installation on high-yield agricultural fields. The ratio of agricultural land for each Regional Unit is stipulated in art. 2 Min. Decision 74123/2971. Firstly, 0.5% of the total cultivated land (1% for the Region of Attica and for the Greek Islands) is estimated in each Regional Unit and then the maximum area for PV installation over 1 MW is defined.
For hydropower
Chapter 3 of the RES Spatial Plan foresees provisions with regard to the installation of small hydropower plants. More specifically, it is defined:
• the location of water basins with exploitable hydraulic potential
• the identification of areas of incompatibility or exclusion, within which the location of small hydropower plants and related works is prohibited
• the determination of the criteria for assessing the bearing capacity of small hydropower plants
• the determination of the criteria and rules for the integration of small hydropower plants in the natural, cultural and man-made environment of the settlement area.
Competent authority
- Ministry of Environment and Energy (MEE)
- Decentralised Regional Administrations