SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF PUBLIC POWER CORPORATION Mr. ARTHOUROS ZERVOS
AT THE CEREMONY FOR THE SIGNATURE OF CONTRACT AWARD REGARDING THE CONSTRUCTION
OF UNIT V OF PTOLEMAIDA THERMAL POWER PLANT
Mining Training Center in West Macedonia Lignite Center
(PTOLEMAIDA)
Saturday 9th of March 13.00
Minister of Macedonia & Thrace,
Deputy Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change,
Your Excellencies Ambassadors,
Your Reverence,
General Secretary,
Head of Region,
Members of the Parliament,
Mayors,
Chairman of TERNA
Honorable Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Colleagues,
Today is a very important day not only for PPC but also for the country in general, since it does not only constitute the beginning of the biggest investment in the history of PPC, as well as one of the biggest realized ever in Greece, but also it constitutes the beginning of a new direction in energy focusing on growth, environment and people.
Allow me to say that, it is a very special day for me because, having dedicated my professional career to the energy sector, toady as President and CEO of PPC, I am honored to participate in the most important moment for the Corporate and in the most significant investment.
I am really proud of the achievements obtained by PPC personnel and executives.
I am really proud of all those who worked so as today to become true.
All together – the Corporate manpower, with our know-how and persistence towards all the difficulties that we faced for many years – we can say that, today, we make a huge step ahead.
I thank you all very warmly.
Also, I would like to thank the political leadership of the country for its decisive contribution and support to this energy project of national importance.
Today, there are guests among us who are not only from the energy core of our country, that is, the Central Macedonia, but also from all over Greece in order to point out the new energy model.
An energy restart, if you wish, that is characterized by the use of our national fuel, the lignite, with the most efficient way ensuring:
• the enhancement of the country energy supply assurance
• low cost power generation
• sustainable growth
and
• more efficient protection of the Environment
For Western Macedonia residents, this project is of vital importance.
It re-affirms the fact that for many decades to me come, lignite continues to be our energy fuel– which, extracted from the depths of the earth, supplies and enables the whole country to look at the future with optimism.
For the region residents, the new Unit V – apart from many job opportunities, it will also create new, better environmental conditions – providing cleaner environment to people who live in the area.
Lignite and Environment are not neccessary contradicting terms.
With its operation and performance, the new Unit V will prove that the correct energy mixture with strict environmental rules can create the appropriate conditions for sustainable growth.
With the construction of Ptolemaida V, the withdrawal of old – non efficient and polluting units, as well as the gradual increase of Renewable Energy Sources, PPC exploits the energy reserves of the country with rational use and respect.
PPC along with the contracting company have been tasked to create the most modern and efficient power generation lignite plant that incorporates the most innovative environmental technologies, while the operation cost will be significantly lower in relation to old polluting and expensive to run units.
Unit V will generate 660MW of electricity and will have the possibility to generate 140MW for teleheating available to the residents of Ptolemaida covering their needs for heating and hot water.
We have planned this unit with the purpose to generate more energy with less lignite and even less emmisions.
This way, the environmental efficiency of PPC is improved because the new Unit V:
• reduces the lignite consumption by 40%,
• reduces the greenhouse gas emissions by 40%,
• reduces the gas emissions by 60%
and
• reduces the particle emissions by 90%.
A balanced energy portfolio is created by the combination of this unit with the other investments in new natural gas plants and hydroelectric plants, as well as in Renewable Energy Sources - completing each other.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Unit V may constitute the biggest investment in volume and value that PPC has ever realised and it is the continuity of our investments up to the amount of 3 billion euros that we implemented in the last 3 years.
Within the biggest economic crisis that our country has faced:
• We are implementing the new state-of-the art Natural Gas Plants in Aliveri and Megalopoli.
• We have quadrupled our portfolio in RES.
• We are at the final stage of implementation for the new hydroelectric plant of Ilarionas, the biggest hydroelectric project that has been constructed for many years now.
• We implemented and continue to implement many environmental projects.
Additionally, PPC Group implements annually an important investment plan for the upgrade and modernization of our networks.
In the field of RES, our priority is to develop the types of Renewable Energy Sources aiming at the determinative increase of RES market share for the next years, emphasizing the creation of new Wind Parks, the development of major Photovoltaic parks, the beginning of geothermal field exploitation of high enthalpy, the implementation of hybrid projects and smaller-scale hydroelectric plants as well as the development of biomass.
The growth course and investment choices of PPC are combined with the strategy for support of employment through specialization in work, as well as support of new and innovative environmental products and services always in collaboration with the local communities and the younger upcoming generation of proffesionals.
Now more than ever, PPC offers a new perspective in growth which brings short, medium and long term benefits to our country.
In the energy sector – the perspectives are directly related to the new job positions, opportunities for the establishment, sustainable growth and operation of new small and medium-sized enterprises and, of course, to the improvement of the environment that we live in; advantages that will emerge exactly from the construction and operation of the new Unit V.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
During the last three years – we didn’t limit ourselves to just 3 billion euros of investments that I have already mentioned. In our effort to modernize the Public Power Corporation, we implemented series of significant policies providing at the same time important social work, such as:
• Very significant reduction of our cost – we believe that it is the biggest reduction realized by any other body in Greece,
• Successful separation of Networks – a difficult exercise with successful results,
• We stood by our customers who are suffering from the extended economic crisis providing 400,000 facilitations in 2011 and more than 700,000 in 2012.
With these actions along with other policies, we do our part for the achievement and creation of a healthy electricity market enabling it to become one of the most important pillars for the development of the Greek Economy.
Dear guests,
In PPC, we continue our upward course.
With lignite
The Wind
The Power of Water
With the Sun
Through constant improvement of the provided services, our investment program, as well as our enormous corporate social responsibility program, PPC continues to stand by the Greek society providing means for economic growth to the country and energy to all.
Thank you.
