Ameresco Sunel Energy has commenced construction on Lightsource BP's 560MW Enipeas solar project in Greece. Co-funded by the European Union through the “NextGenerationEU” fund, the project spans the regions of Larissa and Fthiotida and is expected to be completed within 18 to 24 months.
The Enipeas project consists of two clusters: the 400MW Skopia cluster in the south and the 160MW Kalithea cluster in the north. Nearly 970,000 photovoltaic modules will be installed across these sites. Once operational, the project is expected to generate 0.90TWh of electricity annually, sufficient to power approximately 225,000 households, and avoid 379,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
Natalia Paraskevopoulou, Lightsource BP's Head of Country for Greece, stated, “The 560MWp Enipeas project contributes substantially to create a more sustainable future for Greece as it will provide affordable, secure, and cleaner energy and will support the country's decarbonisation goals and energy independence. We are excited to partner with Ameresco Sunel Energy SA on Enipeas, one of the largest clean energy projects of its kind in Europe.” She also highlighted the project's positive economic impact on the local community, noting that it will generate additional income for local businesses and entrepreneurs through increased demand for housing, groceries, and other services.
Ameresco Sunel Energy, a joint venture between Ameresco and the Sunel Group, has already employed several local contractors and service providers for the project. This includes hiring a local civil contractor, a community liaison officer, security personnel, environmental subcontractors, and providers for water supply services, aggregates, concrete supplies, and welfare cleaning. The joint venture has also rented accommodations in Skopia village for project personnel and provided two tractors to the communities of Skopia and Kallithea.
George Sakellaris, CEO of Ameresco, commented, “Our efforts align with Lightsource bp's commitment of delivering clean, secure energy while using local talent as much as possible.” The project team plans to further increase local employment by hiring additional workers, security guards, and subcontractors for various construction and infrastructure-related roles.
Lightsource BP, which began operations in the United Kingdom in 2010, has developed over 9.5GW of solar projects across 19 markets.
