PPC Group completely transforms former lignit areas in western Macedonia

PPC Group, the largest electricity supplier in Greece, has unveiled its 5.75-billion-euro strategic investment roadmap to transform the lignite areas in Western Macedonia into a green energy and technology hub.

The investment plan focuses on the construction of a new 300-megawatt (MW) mega data centre at the Agios Dimitrios power plant, which is expected to be completed by 2027. The 2.3-billion-euro facility will be one of the largest in Europe and will be powered “behind the meter,” meaning its demand will not place additional load on the national grid. In the second phase, the facility could be expanded to a gigawatt data centre with a capacity of up to 1,000 MW.

According to the company, the former lignite areas in Western Macedonia are an ideal location for the development of large technological infrastructures, as they bring together all the necessary elements to host large-scale data centres. PPC has its own land, easy access to industrial sites, faces no licensing barriers and benefits from a strong energy infrastructure in the region, which also has abundant water resources essential for cooling needs.

The company is investing 1.2 billion euros to develop photovoltaic parks on former mining sites, offering a combined installed capacity of 2,130 MW, enough to meet the energy needs of approximately 715,000 homes and businesses.

Another 940 million euros will be allocated to energy storage projects, totaling 860 MW. The two flagship projects are pumped hydro storage systems using former mines as lower reservoirs: Kardia Mine (320 MW, 8 hours) and South Field Mine (240 MW, 12 hours). Additionally, PPC is investing in battery energy storage systems (BESS) of up to 300 MW installed capacity at various locations around the area. Through the joint venture Hellenic Hydrogen, the company is establishing Greece’s first industrial-scale green hydrogen production unit in Amyntaio.

Under PPC’s strategic plan for Western Macedonia, the lignite-fired Ptolemaida 5 plant will remain operational, initially transitioning into a 350 MW open-cycle natural gas unit (OCGT) until the end of 2027, then to a 500 MW combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) once the investment decision for the Data Center is made.

At the now-closed Kardia Power Plant, existing generators from Units 3 and 4 will be converted into synchronous condensers to support the stability of the ultra-high-voltage electricity grid.

A new thermal waste-to-energy facility is also under consideration, subject to permitting conditions. The proposed unit would feature a 38 MW generator providing both electricity and thermal energy suitable for district heating.

Around 400 million euros will be invested in land restoration and the decommissioning of facilities and equipment related to lignite-based power production that can no longer be repurposed. PPC held nearly 20,000 hectares of land in the area, of that, about 8,000 hectares are now being gradually returned to the Greek State after restoration.