New services for consumers – including the issuance of an electrician’s certificate that is required at regular intervals – includes its updated strategic plan PPC for the period 2025-2027 presented yesterday by the president and CEO of the group George Stassis.

The new “package” of services mainly includes the utilization of the synergies with the “Kotsovolos” network that PPC has acquired, the maintenance of the photovoltaics, while PPC already provides technical services, energy consultant services, etc.

PPC’s new strategic plan confirms the end of an era for lignite in two years from today (end of 2026). As Mr. Stassis mentioned yesterday during the presentation of the plan to the analysts, the decisions for the last PPC lignite unit that will be in operation at that time (Ptolemaida 5) will be taken at the end of 2025. However, he identified as a possible solution the conversion of in a natural gas unit, which will cover either base load or peaks created by the new operating conditions of the electrical system, when they are withdrawn e.g. renewables from covering the load.

The withdrawal of lignite leads to a drastic (by 80 %) reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, from 23.1 million tons in 2019 to 3.9 million in 2027 and a corresponding reduction in the fund for purchasing emission rights which in 2022 it was over 1 billion Euros, in 2023 it decreased to 826 million and in the 9th month of 2024 it was 607 million.

Mr. Stassis also mentioned that:

-The more than doubling of renewables that the plan foresees (from 5.5 gigawatts today to 11.8 gigawatts in 2027) will come from the development of the units that the company itself builds. However, takeovers are not excluded if there are opportunities, mainly in the wind sector.

-The telecommunications network developed in the distribution network of DEDDIE has reached 477,000 consumers (homes and businesses) with the goal of 500,000 by the end of the year, 1.7 million by the end of 2025 and 3 million in 2030. They are already operating some pilot connections while commercial exploitation is expected to begin in mid-2025.

– A data center is being developed near Athens and new investments are being considered in the sector that will allow the optimal utilization of the production potential.

-The share buyback program will continue according to the decisions of the general meeting of shareholders.

Mr. Stassis also focused on the vertically integrated structure of the group (production and marketing) which allows PPC to be insured against price changes either at the level of production costs or at the wholesale level.