The inauguration of the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) in the context of the 88th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) was carried out by Environment and Energy Minister Theodoros Skylakakis, Deputy Environment and Energy Minister Alexandra Sdoukou, the Secretary General of Energy and Mineral Raw Materials Aristotelis Aivaliotis and the President and CEO of IPTO Manos Manousakis.
The event was attended by Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias, Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy Nikos Tagaras, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability of the United Arab Emirates Abdulla Balalaa and the President of the board of directors of ENTSO-E Damian Cortinas.
International connections
A central theme at this year’s TIF was the large international interconnection projects implemented and developed by the Operator, with a focus on Greece, on each side of the border, contributing to the national strategy for the country’s emergence as a strong exporter of “green energy” in the coming years.
The Minister of Environment and Energy, Theodoros Skylakakis, characterized the high voltage networks as crucial for achieving the goals of the “green” transition, stressing that over the last five years Greece has quadrupled the resources available in this direction, reaching 1.2 billion euros per year.
Deputy Environment and Energy Minister Alexandra Sdoukou referred to the network upgrades which, as she mentioned, are top priority projects, excluding on this basis, the assistance of the IPTO which, thanks to its technical competence and high level of know-how, is able to implement domestic and international connections.
The President and CEO of IPTO, Manos Manousakis, stated:
“The new pillar of our strategy is international connections. We have reached the point where the European energy economic area needs to be unified just to have light, as the blackout in the Western Balkans last August showed. It is also an opportunity for Europe to be able, if competition problems are resolved, to import “green”, cheap energy produced in North Africa and the Middle East. In all of this, IPTO wants to support the strategy drawn up by Greece, as the executive “arm” of the country in its energy planning. In full cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Administrator will continue to do everything in its power to implement the major projects undertaken.”
Manousakis also referred to the next projects of the Administrator, announcing the start of the second phase of the competitive dialogue regarding the submarine high-voltage cables of all interconnections in the Aegean and the Ionian and the imminent announcement of the tender for the interconnection of the Dodecanese.
