Delfini Solar — Cero Generation’s 100MW solar farm in Greece — is now operational, generating 157GWh of electricity annually. Built on challenging mountainous terrain, the project connects to Greece’s Electricity Transmission System via a 10km network of overhead lines.
A Milestone for Greece’s Renewable Energy
Cero Generation has achieved a significant milestone in Greece with the commercial operation of its 100MW Delfini Solar farm. Generating 157GWh of electricity annually—enough to power 58,140 homes—the Delfini project marks a major development in the country’s renewable energy sector.
Construction on mountainous terrain was a challenging but rewarding undertaking. The PV array connects via a 2.5km medium-voltage line to a 33/150kV high-voltage substation equipped with a 110MVA step-up transformer. From there, a 10km network of 29 overhead line towers links the solar farm to Greece’s Electricity Transmission System, operated by IPTO (ADMIE).
Delfini Solar Farm: Pioneering Financial Model and EU Support
The Delfini Solar Plant stands out not just for its size and output but also for its innovative financing model. Instead of relying on government subsidies, it secured a long-term private power purchase agreement (PPA) with Axpo.
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The solar farm is also the first renewable energy project in Greece to benefit from the Next Generation EU Recovery and Resilience Facility. The project will reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 65,300 tonnes of CO2e each year.
Cero Generation’s Expanding Renewable Portfolio
Cero Generation’s 26GW portfolio is among the largest in Europe, and the Delfini Solar Farm is a significant addition to its operations. The company currently has over 600MW of projects either in operation or under construction. Marta Martinez Queimadelos, Cero Generation’s chief executive, expressed her delight with the project’s completion, noting that it is now producing cleaner, cheaper, and more secure energy for the Drama region.
Queimadelos praised the Cero team for the vision, tenacity, and engineering excellence required to bring this complex and ambitious project to fruition, highlighting it as a landmark development for Greece. Echoing these sentiments, Axpo’s country manager in Greece, Machias Vasileios, expressed pride in facilitating the landmark PPA. Vasileios also pointed to Axpo’s long-standing expertise in PPAs across various energy markets.
Ameresco SUNEL Energy: A Key Player in Project Execution
The Delfini Solar project was successfully constructed and completed by Ameresco SUNEL Energy S.A., a joint venture established in Greece. George Sakellaris, chief executive of Ameresco, shared his pride in being part of such a significant project. Sakellaris called the solar farm a historic milestone as one of the first private solar power purchase agreements in Greece, highlighting its role in paving the way for future agreements that will bring both economic and environmental benefits to the country.
Konstantinos Zygouras, chief executive of Sunel Group, also commented on the project’s completion, praising it for exemplifying Sunel Group’s commitment to innovation and sustainability. He pointed out that the Delfini Solar Farm will directly benefit the local community by delivering more affordable energy to the grid and expressed pride in helping to lead the way in creating sustainable energy solutions.
The Delfini solar project by Cero Generation marks a significant achievement in Greece’s renewable energy landscape. With its impressive output and innovative financing model, it is poised to play a crucial role in the country’s energy transition.
