Material ESG Topic / Environment

Renewable and Alternative Energy Sources

  • 125 charging facilities
    for electric vehicles in EKO/ bp fuel stations and points of interest

  • Introduction of SAF
    (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) by 2% in volume content in JET A1 aviation fuel for AEGEAN flights from Athens and Thessaloniki airports

  • 340 MW
    total capacity in the operating PV and wind parks

  • >400.000 tons
    total cumulative avoidance of CO2 emissions from RES

Renewable & Alternative
Energy Sources

HELLENiQ ENERGY invests in the development of new business activities, with a focus on sustainable and alternative fuels, Renewable Energy Sources and energy storage, maximising returns on its core activities and developing a diversified energy portfolio. A key objective for the Group is to develop a Renewable Energy portfolio with an installed capacity of approximately 1GW by 2025 and over 2GW by 2030.

Increase in Capacity of
Renewable Energy Sources

The European legislative framework and targets for energy and climate change are a major challenge for HELLENiQ ENERGY, as well as for the acceleration of its path towards climate neutrality. At the same time, the European Green Deal and the recent European climate law are both a challenge and an opportunity for further development of new carbon footprint reduction technologies and a leading presence in the sector of sustainable and alternative fuels, as well as in Renewable Energy Sources (RES). Thus, the Group is planning and implementing its energy transformation for a climate-neutral economy, responding to the continuing growth in energy demand and security of supply, contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 13.

Projects with a total capacity of more than 2.5 GW, mainly PV, wind parks and energy storage, are in various stages of development. Based on the above, the total installed capacity of HELLENiQ RENEWABLES S.A. amounts to 340 MW.

Specifically, on February 17 2020, an agreement was signed with the German company JUWI, a developer and constructor of renewable energy projects, for the acquisition and construction of a PV project in Kozani. The transaction was completed on October 1st 2020 and the PV park was inaugurated on April 6th 2022. The project, with a total capacity of 204 MW, is one of the largest RES projects in Greece and Europe to date. It is estimated to produce 350 GWh of energy per year, capable of providing clean, zero-emission power for 75,000 households, with an annual carbon dioxide emission benefit of more than 90,000 tons.

The total investment exceeds 130 million euros, with significant benefits for the local economy of Western Macedonia. Over 35% of the equipment, materials and labour are sourced from Greece, while over 300 jobs have been created during construction.

In addition, dozens of direct and indirect jobs will be created during its operation, most of which will be filled by the local community. On the other hand, the implementation of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan has helped to minimise the impact on the local community.

Furthermore, in 2022, the acquisition of wind farms in the region of South Evia with a capacity of 38 MW and in the area of Mani with a capacity of 55 MW, as well as of two PV parks with a total capacity of 16 MW in Viotia (all in operation) was completed.

HELLENiQ RENEWABLES continues to consider investments in self-generation and self-consumption in the Group’s facilities connected to low and medium voltage. At EKO and bp fuel stations, HELLENiQ RENEWABLES has so far installed 22 PV selfgeneration energy offsetting systems, with a total capacity of approximately 355 kW.

HELLENiQ RENEWABLES follows the relevant Safety and Environment (S&E) Group procedures in relation to compliance, reporting, management and avoidance of risks and accidents during the construction and operation of projects. For each new project, an A&E engineer is appointed to follow up on relevant matters, run the works and the S&E licensing stage, and oversee the effective period of the required permits and their potential revisions.

Regarding storage systems, HELLENiQ RENEWABLES is developing a total of 16 Electricity Storage Plants (ESP), for which an equal number of applications have been submitted to RAE (Regulatory Authority for Energy). Eleven ESP have already been approved and have now enter the process of environmental licensing. RAE’s approval of the remaining 5 ESPs is pending.

Diversification of the Product Portfolio

HELLENiQ ENERGY’s long-term strategic objective is to emphatically reduce its carbon footprint in all its activities and achieve the vision of climate neutrality, in order to lead the energy transition in the Eastern Mediterranean, maximising returns from its core activities and developing a diversified energy portfolio. In the renewable energy sector, its development strategy combines the maturity of a diversified portfolio of projects (PV, wind, biomass) and targeted acquisitions of matured or operating projects.

In the Natural Gas sector, the Group focuses on commercial activities, such as investments in CNG (compressed natural gas) stations in cooperation with DEPA, as well as the supply and retail of natural gas through Elpedison (a joint venture with Edison), aiming to further consolidate its position in the sector.

Thus, HELLENiQ ENERGY is planning and implementing the energy transformation for a carbon-neutral economy, responding to the continued growth in energy demand and ensuring energy sufficiency by taking measures and projects to reduce emissions. To lead the energy transition, priority is given to the strategic transformation into an integrated Group for the production and marketing of all modern forms of energy and the development of new business activities, with a focus first and foremost on Renewable Energy.

Low carbon footprint products and services are of key strategic importance to the Group, as they contribute to value creation and risk management. Renewables, in particular, deliver competitive financial returns, diversify the energy mix, support short- and longterm risk hedging, by reducing CO2 emission costs and substituting fossil fuels, enhance synergies between the Group’s business activities and contribute to addressing Climate Change.

Sustainable and Alternative Fuels

Biofuels are the only direct substitutes to fossil fuels that are now extensively available as transport fuels, and their use contributes to reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from vehicles and to more environmentally friendly transport, without requiring major modifications in vehicles and distribution networks.

To date, in the Greek market, the term biofuel refers mainly to biodiesel: a fuel with similar properties to diesel, which is used as a component (after blending with conventional diesel) in all diesel vehicles, according to the European blend specification.

Furthermore, in order to comply with the new legislation, the Group took timely steps to upgrade the production units and convert the existing methyl ether (MTBE and TAME) production units of the Aspropyrgos refinery to the respective ethyl ether (ETBE/TAEE) production units, using bioethanol as feedstock in the etherification reaction. Now both units are in operation, providing the required quantities of biofuels.

Biodiesel received and used in diesel fuel during the three-year period 2020-2022:

Year Biodiesel (lt) % v/v on diesel fuel
2020 91,206,000 7.08
2021 106,150,000 6.80
2022 121,101,000 6.93

In line with the provisions of the RED Directive on Renewable Energy Sources (Renewable Energy Directive) and with regard to the use of RES in the transport sector, both HELLENIC PETROLEUM R.S.S.O.P.P. S.A. and EKO S.A. apply a certified sustainable biofuels system in accordance with the 2BSvs standard. The system and methods of both companies have been verified by the certification company Bureau Veritas in the framework of the 2BSvs Verification Scheme. In addition, EKO S.A. submits to the Ministry of the Environment and Energy verified annual sustainability reports on the quantities and emission values of biofuels traded on the local market in blends with fossil fuels.

For 2022, EKO S.A. contributed to a total reduction of CO2 emissions in the road transport sector by 197,350.85 tn CO2 due to the use of biofuels with 5% bioethanol content in petrol and 7% biodiesel in car diesel. Note that the biofuels used have better sustainability characteristics compared to the RED II Directive and the minimum 50% emission reduction threshold. Specifically, biodiesel contained in motor diesel contributed to GHG emission savings of 62.71%, and bioethanol contained in UNL95, UNL98 and UNL100 gasoline contributed to GHG emission savings of 69.84%, 68% and 69.01% respectively compared to conventional fuel.

In addition to the use of biofuels in the road transport sector, in 2022, HELLENiQ ENERGY contributed to the reduction of emissions in the aviation sector following the sale agreement between EKO SA and AEGEAN for the promotion of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) at 2% volume content in JET A1 aviation fuel that was used in its flights from Thessaloniki Airport starting March 2022 and from Athens International Airport starting August 2022. The SAF provided is aligned with the circular economy principles, made from 100% sustainable renewable raw materials, such as used cooking oils and animal fats from food industry waste, which are processed with hydrogen (HVO) and converted into a renewable product. The SAF used was highly sustainable with an average emission intensity of 10.9 gCO2/MJ, contributing to emission savings by 88.37%.

All movements of biofuels in a blend with fossil fuels are accompanied by a unique “Proof of Sustainability” certificate issued by the seller in the biofuel supply chain, which includes references to sustainability criteria such as type of feedstock, country of origin of feedstock, greenhouse gas emissions during the life cycle of the biofuel and volume of biofuels sold in a blend with fossil fuels.

Electromobility

HELLENiQ ENERGY, by constantly monitoring developments, contributes to the promotion and operation of sustainable mobility, supporting actions that aim to change the technological structure and fuel mix of transport vehicles for the transition to a low carbon footprint economy.

Electronic vehicle (EV) charging is a service provided by ELPEFUTURE, a subsidiary of the Group, which, among other things, operates fast chargers at EKO and bp stations on motorways. The renewable energy generated by the solar panels installed at an increasing number of EKO and bp service stations
and consumed simultaneously by the EV chargers transforms the EV charging service into a low-carbon service.

ELPEFUTURE has set itself the goal of establishing itself in the fast-charging market by developing an extensive network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and offering respective electromobility services.

During the year, the company achieved a significant increase in the number of charging points on motorways and in urban areas, now providing:

  • 75 22kW charging points

    in parking areas of shopping centres and Group facilities

  • 50 fast chargers

    (50-120kW) at KALYPSO (EKO & bp) fuel stations

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