On 20 October 2020 Law 4736/2020 concerning the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment was published in the Official Gazette (OJ A' 200/2020). According to Article 20 of the law, a new article (Article 4A) regarding the declaration of readiness for the connection of renewable energy source (RES) stations to the distribution network or transmission system has been added to Law 4416/2016 (OJ A' 149/2016).
In light of the new provisions, the holder of a RES station whose installation is complete must submit a declaration of readiness before the competent system or network operator. Such declaration is a prerequisite for a plant to be connected to the distribution network or transmission system. Alternatively, if an installation project has yet to be completed, the determination of the reference prices will depend on the date of submission of the declaration (not the date of the station's – regular or trial – operation). The 'completion' of an installation project is defined as the completion of all of the necessary tasks for the operation of the station, although certain features may be excluded (eg, telecoms equipment and surveillance systems).
Interested parties may also submit:
- the concluded operating aid contract;
- the mandatory licence based on the urban planning legislation;
- the concluded connection contract; and
- the declaration of a suitable engineer, accompanied by an on-site report.
The new provisions set out the mandatory elements of on-site reports (eg, photographic documentation), as well certain other conditions, such as engineers' qualifications and the method of selection and payment.
Within five days of the submission of a declaration of readiness, the competent administrator will examine whether connection of the station is possible. If connection is deemed possible, it must take place within 15 days. If connection is impossible, provided that the interested party has submitted all of the relevant documents discussed above, the administrator will issue a certificate for the project's completion. This certificate also proves the date of submission of the declaration of readiness and will be notified to the RES Operator and Guarantees of Origin or the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator. However, if the statement regarding the project's completion is found to be false, the confirmation of completion will be recalled.
This new legislative instrument explicitly mentions that it also applies to stations selected for inclusion in a support scheme in the form of operational aid through a competitive bidding procedure under Article 7 of Law 4414/2016.
