After the investment in the island of Astypalaia agreed by Volkswagen AG and the government for the development of e-mobility, combined with renewable energy sources and energy storage systems, the island looks set to become a small-scale model of future energy systems in Greece, according to ANA.
The “Smart and Sustainable Island” investment, which will ascertain the energy autonomy of Astypalaia to a substantial degree, was presented at an event on Wednesday attended by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
“The Astypalaia project is emblematic in the sense that it demonstrates that a world with a zero-carbon footprint is possible. We are proceeding with the electrification of transport – in cooperation with VW – something that will be combined with the installation of modern RES units and the adoption of innovative energy storage and management systems. In this way, Astypalaia will be converted into an island that is clean and autonomous in terms of energy, while retaining its special character and beating a path for the green policies that we will implement throughout the country,” noted the general secretary of the environment and energy ministry, Alexandra Sdoukou, in statements to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA).
Regarding the island’s electricity system, the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO) has already prepared a study on increasing RES penetration to 60 pct. This calls for a hybrid system combining wind and solar power with energy storage using batteries. The total capacity required to reach 60 pct penetration of renewables is about 3MW, combined with batteries with a power of 2MW and a capacity of at least 7MWh.
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