Manya Rathore
Research expert covering India
Renewable energy in Greece - statistics & facts
Greece’s renewable energy sector is experiencing a rapid development. In the last five years, the share of renewables in the country’s electricity mix grew by more than 15 percentage points, reaching over 50 percent in 2023. From 2018 to 2022, solar capacity in the Mediterranean country grew from 2.6 to 5.3 gigawatts, whereas wind installations increased from 2.8 to 4.7 megawatts. Investments in solar and wind technologies have also followed a similar trend, with total clean energy investments surpassing 1.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. The country aims to double its renewable energy capacity by 2030, which is expected to grow from 14 gigawatts in 2022 to 28 gigawatts in 2030.
Overall, the future for solar in Greece is bright. The country plans to greatly increase its solar power capacity, targeting a total of 13 gigawatts by 2030, more than doubling current installations. Furthermore, projections point to larger increases, with the total new capacity to be added in the next four years oscillating between 6.9 gigawatts and 13.9 gigawatts.
It is forecast that Greece will add roughly 400 megawatts of onshore wind power annually until 2030. In that year, the country’s first offshore wind farms are projected to start operating. In total, 900 megawatts of wind are forecast to be installed off the Greek coastline in 2030.
Solar energy in Greece
As of 2022, solar energy was the renewable energy source with the largest installed capacity across Greece, accounting for some 40 percent of the total. After a period of stagnation that lasted until 2018, Grece’s solar sector started booming. Utility-scale and self-consumption photovoltaic installations have been growing year after year, with the latter registering an eight-fold increase since 2020.Overall, the future for solar in Greece is bright. The country plans to greatly increase its solar power capacity, targeting a total of 13 gigawatts by 2030, more than doubling current installations. Furthermore, projections point to larger increases, with the total new capacity to be added in the next four years oscillating between 6.9 gigawatts and 13.9 gigawatts.
Greece's wind energy sector
Wind energy is Greece’s second-largest source of renewable energy in terms of installed capacity. In total, wind farms reached a cumulative capacity of 5.2 gigawatts in 2023 and generated roughly 10.9 terawatt hours of electricity that year. In 2022, Central Greece concentrated the majority of wind installations, accounting for some 40 percent of the country’s wind capacity. The Desfina wind farm, one of the largest wind power plants in operation in Greece, is located in Central Greece.It is forecast that Greece will add roughly 400 megawatts of onshore wind power annually until 2030. In that year, the country’s first offshore wind farms are projected to start operating. In total, 900 megawatts of wind are forecast to be installed off the Greek coastline in 2030.
