Follower island

Gavdos is a small island in the prefecture of Chania and the Region of Crete, located south of the island of Crete and is the southernmost Greek and European tip.  The island is located 22 nautical miles south of Chora Sfakion, and its area is 30 square kilometres. According to the 2021 national census of the Hellenic Statistical Authority, Gavdos has a population of 142 inhabitants. The total number of people on the island can exceed 1,500, most of whom are campers. The island’s port is Karave, while the capital is Kastri.

Currently, the island lacks any alternative source of autonomous power. Aegina has frequently experienced sudden power outages and constant voltage fluctuations, which have become more common in recent years. One contributing factor is the variation in electricity demand due to tourism during the summer months.The municipality aims to achieve energy stability by utilising a form of renewable energy that is environmentally friendly, preserves the island’s natural beauty, and is suitable for local conditions.

The development of the local heating and energy supply system and the widespread implementation of energy-saving solutions are essential for ensuring sustainable energy on the island. This involves clearly defining land use principles and establishing long-term perspectives for energy solutions. However, the existing grid is overburdened, making the transition to renewable energy more challenging.The islands of Hiiumaa, Vormsi, Kihnu, and Muhu aim to enhance energy resilience and sustainability by integrating municipal EVs, energy storage, and renewable energy solutions.

Kihnu’s energy vision centres around ensuring a secure and independent power supply and robust connectivity.

Muhu’s vision for becoming a “Smart and Green Energy Island” focuses on sustainable and intelligent resource use, implementing clean energy, recycling, and reducing the ecological footprint. This approach aims to integrate economic development with environmental sustainability, setting an example for other regions.

The electricity consumption on Graciosa Island is already supplied, on average, at 62% from renewable energy yearly. However, there is a lot of curtailed energy that is not used in a practical way. One identified reason for the curtailed energy is the lack of flexibility on the demand side. Hence, integrating flexible electrified loads associated with dynamic tariff prices or any other type of incentives to the final customers would stimulate consumption in periods where greater renewable generation is available, and thus, it would reduce curtailment.

Malta, an EU Member State in the Mediterranean, is an archipelago covering 316 km² with a population of approximately 550,000 residents, making it the most densely populated country in the EU. Despite its small size—27 km in length and 15.5 km in width—Malta has taken significant steps to enhance energy security and support the transition to sustainable mobility.The country maintains a 225MW AC interconnection with Sicily, which supplies approximately 20% of Malta’s electricity demand. Malta plans to double its interconnection capacity by 2026 to further strengthen its energy resilience.

The island's energy supply is primarily derived from diesel generators. Currently, there are three permits for electricity production using wind turbines, which have a combined capacity of 1,350 kW. Additionally, there are seven permits for photovoltaic parks, totalling an output of 490 kW.Karpathos is the second-largest island in the Greek Dodecanese, located in the southeastern Aegean Sea. Along with the smaller Saria Island, it forms the municipality of Karpathos, which is part of the regional unit of Karpathos-Kasos.

Nearly equidistant from Ponza (to the west), Formia (to the north) and Ischia (to the east), a small rock with a basaltic base and tuffaceous structure represents what remains of an enormous submerged volcano 20 km in diameter and 800 metres high that 4 million years ago triggered the genesis of the Pontine archipelago. Today, all that remains of that volcano, destroyed by the same eruptions that generated Ponza, Palmarola, Zannone and S. Stefano, is less than 2 km of emerged land that continues to struggle against natural landslides, winds and waves from the high seas.

Hiiumaa has about 9,558 inhabitants. It is the second-largest island in Estonia and part of the West Estonian archipelago, which is located in the Baltic Sea. The archipelago has an area of 989 square kilometres and is 22 km from the Estonian mainland.How does Hiiumaa produce energy? After the shutdown of Kärdla power plant in 1977, Hiiumaa was integrated into the single Estonian energy system with a cable brought along the seabed from Saaremaa. On the island, the main sources of renewable energy are wood and solar technologies.