For a long delay in linking RES projects to which her business has invested Continentspeaks the Chamber Ioannina.
Specifically, in a letter to the relevant Ministries, the Chamber observes that more than 50 Epirus companies expect the connection, while facing acute financial problem as the delay touches in some cases even 29 months. In the meantime, these companies must pay payments to banks, without still having the slightest revenue.
Thus, they call on the competent authorities on the one hand to comply with the timetables for the connection and extraordinary support measures.
In detail the letter of the Chamber is as follows:
More than fifty companies in Epirus, members of the Ioannina Chamber of Commerce and active in electricity through photovoltaic systems, have been facing acute financial problems for many months. The reason is the default of the contractual obligations by DEDDIE SA, as provided for in the contracts of connection of these companies-producers with the network.
Specifically, in the connection contracts signed between the producers and DEDDIE SA, the latter as the only manager of the network has explicitly undertaken the obligation to build the necessary connection projects within eighteen (18) months from the date of signature. However, in many cases the delay already exceeds twenty -nine (29) months, without the completion of the projects or at least official information to the businesses concerned about the causes of the delay and the period of completion.
It is also noteworthy that the total cost of construction of the projects has already been fully paid in advance by businesses when signing the contracts. However, and despite repeated contact efforts, producers have not managed to secure a meeting or official response from the DEDDIE SA, leaving them in the dark as to the fate of their investment.
The financial damage to these undertakings is unbearable. They have made the construction and readiness of the stations within the legal deadlines, but they are unable to channel the energy produced to the network due to the unconventional behavior of DEDDIE SA.
The overwhelming majority of these investments have been funded through credit institutions, so businesses are now obliged to serve their loan liabilities from equity, despite the fact that their production units remain inactive.
On a monthly basis, the amounts paid only for interest – without reducing capital – are extremely high, leading to real economic strangulation the small and medium -sized enterprises in the industry. These are businesses that invested in the green transition and the energy democracy, demonstrating confidence in the country’s institutional and investment framework.
Honorable Mr. Ministers, we ask the immediate intervention of the relevant Ministries of Development, Environment and Energy as well as Finance, in order to resolve the issue and prevent the collapse of a significant part of the local productive economy.
In the light of the above, we call:
- The Ministry of Environment and Energy, as well as the Regulatory Authority of Waste, Energy and Water (RAAE), to intervene immediately to ensure compliance with the contractual and institutional obligations of DEDDIE SA, by directly completing the connection projects and the reimbursement of a specific and binding timetable.
- The Ministry of Development and the Ministry of Finance to consider the possibility of providing extraordinary financial support measures to the affected companies, including:
- Suspension of loan obligations until the production of production units are activated.
- Increase or extraordinary reinforcement against proven damage due to delay.
- Credit institutions to review loan agreements and repayment terms for these companies, providing a period of grace or adjustment of repayment terms to fully operation of investments, in proportion to delays not due to producers. Producers, consistently investing in pure energy and sustainable development, expect corresponding responsibility and effectiveness from all institutions.