The Ministry of Economy, Competitiveness and Shipping, the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change and Piraeus Bank, via the company ETVA VI.PE. S.A. (a company owned 35% publicly and 65% by Piraeus Bank that manages 26 Industrial Areas in Greece), announced investments for environmental upgrading in the existing Industrial Areas and the creation of a new model of "Green Business Parks".
This green development plan is set to reach EUR 1.5 billion in the upcoming four-year period with the participation of ETVA VI.PE. S.A. and private-sector enterprises supported by the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF).
These green entrepreneurship actions will constitute a model for future development plans, will speed up investments in green technologies driving Greece to occupying one of the first ranks amidst countries in relation to GDP rate invested in the green economy.
The plan includes five action thrusts:
Α. Environmental upgrading of existing Industrial Areas (EUR 70 million)
The majority of suggested investments regard environmental investments upgrading and development actions, such as:
- Waste management (Biological treatment, Waste Treatment Units)
- Water Resources Management, (Supply Networks, Water Supply Networks, Rainwater Networks, Firefighting systems)
- Air Emissions Monitoring System
- Creation of green areas and organisation of common spaces
- Road Networks traffic signing
Β. Energy investments in existing Industrial Areas (EUR 350 million)
Β.1. ETVA VI.PE has already put forward the installation of photovoltaic farms (30 MW) in land plots within industrial areas for which Generation Licenses have already been issued. Moreover, the feasibility study has already been completed and an energy investment of 5 MW is under way in Peloponnesus Industrial Area.
Β.2. More land plots will be made available by ETVA VI.PE. to enterprises wishing to invest in Renewable Energy Sources.
Β.3. In addition, ETVA VI.PE. shall provide services for industrial premises exploitation by means of photovoltaic systems installation by installed entrepreneurs. It is estimated that in the upcoming three-year period out of all installed entrepreneurs at least 5% is able to implement investments in their business premises (total capacity of 50 ΜW).
C. Recycling Sorting Plants and composting units in existing Industrial Areas (EUR 80 million)
C.1 Creation of 10 Recycling Sorting Plants for waste in 10 different industrial areas, mainly in Northern Greece, to be selected taking into account the framework of the National and Regional Planning on Waste Management.
C.2 Creation of 10 medium-sized organic waste composting plants in the same areas (of 30,000 tonnes annually per plant).
D. Creation of 3 new green Industrial Areas (Eco-Industrial Parks) (EUR 440 million)
The needs to create new organised industrial activities led ETVA VI.PE. S.A. to plan the development of the first "green" industrial areas of our country abiding by Eco-Industrial Parks standards.
The infrastructure in the green industrial areas will be energy effective and low coal intensive using clean and renewable energy sources. Moreover, green industrial areas will be reusing and recycling raw materials, materials and water using clean production technologies and will optimise transport of goods and employees' displacement.
They will also serve as a reception area for enterprises operating in green economy sectors ("green" chemistry, biodegradable detergents, energy saving equipment production plant, -e.g Low-e frames, etc.). Moreover, they will serve as reception area of conventional enterprises integrating the best available technologies and the cutting-edge environmental standards in their development, production and operation procedure.
Ε. 10 Integrated Environmental Business Parks in islands (EUR 560 million)
These Parks aim at:
- Providing energy security with maximum penetration of clean and renewable energy sources and energy storage systems particularly in autonomous insular networks.
- Offering water supply security and sufficiency in areas with deficient or unsuitable water reserves.
- Contributing to environmentally-friendly waste management with materials recovery (recycling, composting).
- Offering organic products production in islands with development of innovative hydroponic organic crops in state-of-the-art solar greenhouses.
The analysis on the islands was carried out on the basis of the needs in energy, water, fresh vegetables and volume of waste to be managed and illustrated that the gradual creation of at least 10 Integrated Environmental Business Parks is feasible and sustainable.
Depending on the final selection, the population to be serviced ranges from 200,000-250,000 permanent residents plus hundreds of thousand visitors. The Integrated Environmental Business Parks models will be certified by competent bodies with regard to their environment-friendly aspect and, after an appropriate promotion, are expected to become a pole of attraction for tourists.