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By the year 2024, Ai Stratis will become the first energy-independent island thanks to an innovative electricity production and storage system.

A wind station with an installed capacity of 0.9 MW, a photovoltaic station with a maximum production capacity of 0.2268 MW, accumulators with a storage capacity of 2.56 MWh, a station for the production of thermal energy along with an electricity distribution and supply network. With all the above in place, Ai Stratis (island of Agios Efstratios) will soon be the first and the only so far, energy independent island in Greece in terms of electricity and heat.

In the context of the program “Hybrid System of Production of Electric and Thermal Energy from RES on the Island of Agios Efstratios”, the small island “Ai Stratis” with approximately 250 inhabitants, is about to become the first green island in Greece, with a penetration of Renewable Energy Sources of more than 85%, energy storage, tele-heating and hot water supply to its residents, thanks to the innovation of CRESS (Center for Renewable Energy Sources) and the expertise of TERNA Energy, in close cooperation with the municipal authorities.

The innovation of the project consists of the Energy Management and Control System. It is a top-level system that will control in real time the energy production of the hybrid plant in order to cover the island’s electricity demand and efficiently utilize the surplus RES production by the generated load of the tele-heating system.   

The control system will cooperate with the local power station in a way that it will be possible to meet the energy needs of the island through three distinct operating modes:   

1. Operation of the hybrid station without the local generating station;

2. Operation of the hybrid station along with the local generating station;

3. Operation of the local generating station solely.

The project will be operational by the year 2024

The construction works carried out by TERNA Energy, which was appointed as the contractor for the project after a respective tender procedure, are in full progress.

In particular, the installation of the wind turbine at the respective land area has been completed since April. At the same time, the construction of the tele-heating network has been also completed, as well as all the cabling and the construction of substations, while the requests for receiving the deliverables from KAPE (Greek Center for Renewable Energy Sources) have commenced.

The aim is to start the internal tests at the end of January 2024, so that by the middle of same year the project will be connected to the network of DEDDIE (Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator) and its full operation will begin.

The budget of the project has reached 4 million Euros and the action plan has been part of the Operational Program COMPETITIVENESS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP and INNOVATION of the NSRF 2014-2020 and is financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

Objective of the project

The project concerns the study, procurement, installation and commissioning of the following:   

• a Hybrid Power Station from Renewable Energy Sources on the island of Agios Efstratios, which will consist of a wind turbine, a photovoltaic station, storage batteries and an Energy Management and Control System.

• an integrated tele-heating system for the residential area of Ai Stratis, including the relevant building facilities. The tele-heating system will include central heat production and storage units (hot water tanks), as well as the heat energy distribution network to end consumers. The thermal energy that will be produced will cover the heating and hot water needs in the buildings of the entire residential area of Ai Stratis.