Greece rebuilt its renewable energy licensing system in two legislative waves: Law 4685/2020 simplified market entry, and Law 4951/2022 modernised everything from the grid connection offer to the operation licence — and created a licensing framework for storage. Understanding how the phases fit together is the first step of any credible wind investment in Greece.

Key Facts — Verified

  • Law 4685/2020 replaced the old production licence with the Producer Certificate, issued through RAAEY (the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water) — a faster, largely standardised first step.
  • Law 4951/2022 ("Phase B") restructured the licensing chain from the grid connection offer through installation and operation, and introduced a dedicated framework for electricity storage licensing.
  • Greece's revised National Energy and Climate Plan targets a renewables share of around 80% of the power mix by 2030, with onshore wind rising from about 5.2 GW (2023) to roughly 8.9 GW by 2030.
  • Environmental permitting for wind projects follows Law 4014/2011, with most utility-scale wind farms requiring an Approval of Environmental Terms (AEPO).

The Licensing Chain, Step by Step

1. Producer Certificate

The entry ticket. Applications are filed with RAAEY in defined cycles; the certificate confirms the project's identity — site, capacity, technology — and starts the clock on development milestones. It does not, by itself, guarantee land, environmental terms or grid capacity.

2. Environmental permitting

Utility-scale wind projects undergo environmental impact assessment leading to the AEPO, which sets the environmental conditions for construction and operation. Siting interacts with the spatial framework for renewables, protected areas (Natura 2000), biodiversity assessments and land-use constraints — frequently the most contested part of the process.

3. Grid connection offer

The binding connection offer from the competent operator defines the connection point, works and cost, and is secured with a letter of guarantee. Given grid saturation in several regions, the timing and terms of the connection offer have become a — often the — decisive commercial variable.

4. Installation licence and construction

With environmental terms and a binding connection offer in place, the project obtains its installation licence and building-level approvals, and construction can begin. Milestones and deadlines apply; missing them can put the project's rights at risk.

5. Operation licence

Following construction, testing and connection, the project receives its operation licence and enters commercial operation — under the market rules and, where applicable, the support scheme secured through competitive auctions.

What Changed with Law 4951/2022 — and Why It Matters

  • Deadlines with consequences. The framework attaches time limits to development stages, designed to clear "sleeping" projects from the queue and free grid capacity for projects that actually build.
  • Storage became licensable. A dedicated regime for standalone and co-located storage opened the door to the hybrid configurations that increasingly define project economics — see our analysis of curtailment and storage.
  • Grid cost-sharing. Article 98 introduced cost-sharing for high-voltage connection works, made operational by RAAEY Decision 5577/2025.

The Investor's Reading

Licensing risk in Greek wind is no longer primarily about whether permits can be obtained; it is about sequencing, deadlines and interfaces. The licensing chain must be aligned with land agreements, the EPC and turbine supply contracts, financing conditions precedent and the connection milestones. A project that treats these as separate tracks accumulates hidden risk at every handover point.

Frequently Asked Questions

What licences does a wind farm need in Greece?

In outline: a Producer Certificate (RAAEY), environmental permitting (AEPO for utility-scale projects), a binding grid connection offer, an installation licence with construction-level approvals, and finally an operation licence. Land rights and, where applicable, auction-based support sit alongside the chain.

How long does wind farm licensing take in Greece?

It varies with siting sensitivity and grid availability. The 2020–2022 reforms shortened the administrative steps considerably; in practice, environmental assessment and grid connection are the pace-setting stages for most projects.

Can storage be licensed together with a wind farm?

Yes. Law 4951/2022 created a licensing framework for electricity storage, both standalone and combined with generation, and subsequent regulatory decisions have supported storage deployment as a tool against curtailment.

Sources & Further Reading

  1. Law 4685/2020 and Law 4951/2022 (Government Gazette); EY Greece, "Law 4951/2022 — Modernization of the Licensing Process for RES" — ey.com
  2. Greece's revised National Energy and Climate Plan (2030 targets) — see Enerdata summary — enerdata.net
  3. RAAEY — Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water — raaey.gr
  4. Reed Smith on RAAEY Decision 5577/2025 (grid cost-sharing) — reedsmith.com

This article provides general information, verified against the cited sources at the date of publication. It does not constitute legal advice.