ATHENS – Greece has submitted a proposal for the construction of a direct electricity interconnection with Austria and Germany, with an initial capacity of 3.0 gigawatts, Environment and Energy Minister Kostas Skrekas revealed at the Renewable and Storage Forum on Thursday.

“It is not an easy project but there is great need for green energy in southern Germany that Greece can provide,” Skrekas said, adding that the capacity of the power line could reach 9.0 gigawatts at a later stage.

Greece is already planning to double or triple the capacity of existing interconnections with Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania and Italy.

On price gouging by power providers, Skrekas issued a clear warning that excessive and unjustifiable profits will be clawed back and returned to consumers.

He also referred to the progress in the installation of renewable energy sources in Greece, while other speakers praised Greece’s efforts in this area but noted the need for investments in production units and networks, simpler licencing procedures and a new framework to support hybrid units that combine wind, solar and storage.