This October, natural gas was followed by renewable energy generation, which stood at 33.86 % share, lignite’s share dropped to 4.25 %, while hydropower has a 3.21 % share. Natural gas-fired electricity generation reached a record share of 56.64 % in Greece’s energy mix in October.
The significant rise of natural gas share in the energy mix has been attributed to a major slowdown of Public Power Corporation’s (PPC) lignite-based generation. Natural gas-fired power plants operated by PPC and other independent producers further consolidated their place in the energy mix.
October’s 56.64 % share of gas-fired generation broke this fuel’s previous record of 53.76 %, registered in August. In September, the share of natural gas was slightly lower and amounted to 51.74 %. In October 2019, the share of natural gas in total electricity generation was 49.86 %, while lignite stood at 22 %.
However, PPC’s lignite-based generation could rise slightly in coming months in order to cover district heating needs. On the other hand, the role of natural gas in the ongoing energy transition towards renewable energy is expected to play a pivotal role for the sufficiency and security of Greek electricity supply.