Green Light from Environment Ministry for DEH’s Pumped Storage Project at South Field Mine

The Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy has approved the environmental terms for one of DEH’s major pumped storage projects in the region. Specifically, the ministry has granted permission for the installation of a pumped storage unit at DEH’s South Field Mine within the Lignite Center of Western Macedonia, located in Kozani. The project will feature two water reservoirs—one upper and one lower. During periods of energy surplus, water will be pumped to the upper reservoir, and during times of high demand, it will be released to generate electricity by driving turbines. Connection to the Hellenic Electricity Transmission System Operator (ADMIE) grid will be made via the Agios Dimitrios power station. One of the key advantages of pumped storage is its ability to provide long-duration energy storage, unlike batteries that are typically limited to two or up to four hours. In the case of DEH’s project, energy can be stored for up to eight hours at a capacity of 217 MW or 14.5 hours at 206 MW—offering a valuable solution for grid stability. Notably, DEH has included several similar investments in its broader investment plan announced earlier this year. Another such project is the pumped storage facility at the Kardia mine with a 148 MW capacity, expected to begin construction in the coming years. Two additional large-scale projects are also advancing in Megalopolis and Veria with capacities of 181 MW and 475 MW respectively.