Great opportunities for the small Aegean and Ionian islands to green their energy mix, upgrade transport, waste management and lighting infrastructure and ensure significantly lower electricity bills for residents and businesses, creates the initiative GR-eco island, launched on Friday by the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Chalki and the Island Resettlement Fund.
In total, the two initiatives have combined funds of around €3 billion. The two initiatives are pooling together €3.3 billion, with funding from European and national funds, but also from private companies that are invited to contribute - as was the case in Halki - to the cost of the transition of the islands. The programmes are aimed at all the islands, but will start with the smallest and most remote ones. Already on Friday, Mr Mitsotakis issued an invitation from Halki to the other island municipalities «to follow this example, to create, with our support, their own Energy Communities and to join the GR - eco islands initiative», stressing that those who are first in this direction will also have an advantage in attracting tourists.
In relation to the Demining Fund, the next step, as the Minister of Environment and Energy points out, Kostas Skrekas, is to present the actions to the European Commission and secure approval in order to negotiate with the European Investment Bank to participate in the co-financing. The Commission has already approved funding for the Greek islands to reduce carbon dioxide emissions under the overall «Fair Development Transition Programme» targeted at the lignite areas of Western Macedonia and Megalopolis. The main source of funding for the Fund is the revenues from auctions of carbon emission allowances.
The GR - eco islands initiative mobilizes resources from all Funds, Programmes and general funding sources such as NSRF 2021-2027, the Fair Transition Mechanism, (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development), Recovery Fund.
As noted in a relevant information note, «The GR-eco islands initiative comes to build on the experience and very useful conclusions from pilot projects that have been or are being implemented in the energy sector in individual islands, such as those in Tilos, Ai Stratis or Astypalaia. An attempt is thus being made to create a common framework within which all Greek islands, starting from the smallest ones, can be considered, will be able to participate in the green transition that is taking place, ultimately setting examples for other European regions and countries to follow.».
The interventions focus on the following pillars:
In the field of Energy, the main objective is to achieve Energy and Climate Neutrality. This will be achieved through the maximum use of Renewable Sources, through hybrid power generation systems, energy storage, hydrogen production, increasing energy savings in the building sector and in all sectors of activity such as tourism, etc.
Along the same axis, the priority is the Electrification in Transport, including road and maritime transport, which is accompanied by the need to develop the necessary infrastructure for alternative fuels.
In the area of island connectivity, the development of new and improved infrastructure and the the modernisation of existing port and other infrastructure, the modernisation of the fleet of the coastal network serving inter-island routes.
The circular economy sector includes solid and liquid waste management, and the water resources management sector, where the aim is to ensure universal access to sufficient and good quality water, including the development of environmentally friendly solutions. desalination.
In the field of Tourism, the interventions are expected to be complementary and cumulative. Both the interventions for green energy and energy efficiency improvements, as well as interventions in sustainable mobility, are expected to change the image of the islands, giving them a «green» profile and enhancing their attractiveness to those who want to visit them.
