TERNA ENERGY: € 3.5 million donation to the 115 Combat Wing in Souda
TERNA ENERGY: € 3.5 million donation to the 115 Combat Wing in Souda
TERNA ENERGY, a member of GEK TERNA Group, made a significant donation of € 3.5 million to the country’s Armed Forces.
The donation refers to the conversion of the 115th Combat Wing (CW) airport in Souda into a Zero Carbon Footprint installation (Net Zero Carbon Emissions Airport), to the 100% coverage of the airport’s needs in electricity, heating and cooling by Renewable Energy Sources, as well as to the “electrification” of the transport services within the airport.
It is worth noting that the 115 CW in Souda will be one of the first installations in the world to receive the respective certifications, while the annual benefit of fully discharging the Unit from the cost of electricity supply and heating needs will exceed € 400,000.
The official ceremony of the donation took place on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at the 115 CW in Souda, and was attended by Prime Minister Kyriakos Kon. Mitsotakis, the Minister of National Defense, Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, the leadership of Greece’s Armed Forces, Ministers, Members of Parliament and others.
Referring to the initiative of TERNA ENERGY, the Chairman of the company Mr. George Peristeris stated the following, inter alia: «The project in the airport of Souda is a practical support of our Group both in the Greek Government’s efforts and its goals for Green Development and in the Armed Forces of our country. Our donation, totaling approximately € 3.5 million, aims at dramatically reducing the 115 CW airport’s energy costs by saving nearly € 400,000 per year, and on the other hand, in reducing carbon dioxide emissions from electricity and fossil fuels. In this way the airport of the 115 CW will make a significant contribution to tackling climate change and will be equipped with state-of-the-art energy management systems, without compromising on its operational capabilities and overall efficiency. Souda Airport will be one of the first in the world to receive the certifications Net Zero Energy Airport and Νet Zero Carbon Emissions Airport».
What does the donation include?
TERNA ENERGY will fully cover the costs of the studies, planning and construction of all required projects in order to:
A. Turn the 115 CW Airport (Souda) into a Zero Carbon Footprint installation (Net Zero Carbon Emissions).
B. To meet the needs for electricity, heating and cooling of the facilities at the 115 CW military airport in Souda, by relying by 100% on Renewable Energy Sources (Net Zero Energy Airport) and achieve the proper degree of the “electrification” of the transport services within the Airport.
For the implementation of the necessary projects, TERNA ENERGY will work with the specialized company EASY POWER S.A., which has designed, studied and manufactured self / hybrid systems for power generation and distribution, produced by the sun – which has been awarded a patent by the OBI – but also the formation of a technology platform that can ensure certification of NET ZERO ENERGY, in existing or under construction building infrastructures or installations.
Specifically, TERNA ENERGY’s proposal provides:
– Installation of solar thermal systems and heat pumps in buildings to meet the thermal needs of the Unit in terms of RES and the conversion of fossil fuels to green electricity. Today the cost of purchasing heating oil exceeds € 100,000 per year.
– Interventions in the external insulation and lighting of the buildings and installations for energy saving purposes and towards the creation of thermal comfort conditions for the entire unit staff.
– A photovoltaic power plant of approximately 1.7 MW, aiming to fully discharge the Unit from the cost of electricity supply currently exceeding € 300,000 / year.
– Energy storage system with very high capacity Lithium ion batteries, to ensure the smooth operation of the airport for up to 12 hours, without the use of diesel generators.
– “Smart” energy management system for the production and consumption of energy and for the plant facilities of the unit, so that its Administration can manage all energy needs in the most secure and efficient way.
– Electric car charging infrastructure in an effort to electrify transport services via the use of RES and attain fossil fuel exemption.
– Supply of electric bicycles for professional use.
– Certification of the Airport as Net Zero Carbon Emissions installation in alignment with the Carbon Accreditation program of the Airport Council International (ACI).
– Certification of the Airport as Net Zero Energy Airport in accordance with the specifications of the National Laboratory of the US Department of Energy for Military Installation.
The budget of the proposal exceeds € 3,500,000, while the time needed for the completion of the required works is estimated to be approximately six (6) months from the day of official acceptance by the Government Gazette of the donation and the signing of the relevant agreement with the Ministry of National Defense.
Since 1997, TERNA ENERGY has been investing in energy production from RES (Renewable Energy Sources) by installing and operating wind, photovoltaic and hydroelectric power plants in both Greece and abroad.
In addition, since the year 2010 we have decided to invest in the Circular Economy model as we design and build, among other things, state-of-the-art waste treatment and recycling plants.
Today, our Group is the largest Greek investor in RES, with more than 1,500 MW operating in Greece and abroad, and we are ready to launch new investments with a total budget of over 1 billion euro in our country in new RES installations, but also in energy storage projects, such as the pumping projects in Crete and Ampfilochia, which are necessary for balancing the transmission networks and also for the ultimate objective of transition to a carbon-free economy.