Final Closure of DEH’s Lignite Unit in Meliti – What’s Next for Employees?

DEH’s lignite unit in Meliti is now officially being decommissioned after a three-month extension granted last winter. According to an official document signed by the company’s president and chief advisor, George Stassis, and submitted to Parliament, the Meliti AES only operated for 2-3 days during its extended period due to its lack of economic competitiveness in the market. With the deadline set for the end of March, DEH has confirmed that the unit is permanently shut down, and necessary procedures for final deactivation are underway, including system retention, workforce reallocation plans, and equipment transfer to other units. Managing human resources affected by the shutdown is a top priority. To ensure a smooth transition, measures have been implemented: 1) A voluntary retirement program approved by DEH’s board covers significant portions of employees’ regular income and insurance obligations until their retirement date. 2) A new mobility policy was also approved, offering over 200 vacant positions across DEH units in Western Macedonia for employees who do not opt for voluntary retirement. Selection will be based on objective criteria such as remaining service years until retirement, work experience, performance, family status, and proximity to the relocation location. Additionally, 85 positions in Attica and others throughout Greece have been advertised. 3) Finally, a retraining and internal utilization program has been established for those employees without appropriate qualifications or licenses to fill available roles within the company.