By
Thymios Dimopoulos, GIS Specialist – Architect/MedINA
Marianna Dimopoulou, Water Policy Officer/MedINA
Irilena Linardaki, Ri-Connect Project Μanager/MedINA
Fanourios-Nikolaos Sakellarakis, Freshwater Programme Coordinator/MedINA
Edited by: George Dimitropoulos, Urban-Spatial Planner & Fundraising Officer/MedINA
Following MedINA’s previous articles from March, July and November 2023, May and November 2024, this article examines the number of Small Hydropower Plants (SHPs) and their current licensing status, according to the available data from the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy, and Water (RAAEY). A detailed description of the SHP monitoring process and their licensing stages is provided in the March 2023 article.
I. Current licensing status of SHPs in the Aoos River Basin
The total number of SHPs in the Aoos River Basin, currently at various licensing stages, according to RAAEY data, is 36, marking a decrease of six applications compared to November 2024. Of the 36 SHPs, four are already existing with operation licenses, one in the Yotsa stream has received an installation license, 25 have received production licenses, and six are under evaluation (Graph 1 and Map 1).
The changes are observed in the number of production licenses, which have decreased by four, and in the number of applications under evaluation, which have decreased by two. Among the applications currently under evaluation, two new ones were submitted—one within the area designated as Protected Landscape and Protected Natural Formation (PLPNF) (Gov. Gazette 6679/B/2023), and one in Vourbianitiko—while four applications did not proceed.
The following chart shows the SHP status for March, July, November 2023, May, November 2024, and July 2025 (Graph 1).
No new production license entries were identified, while four were either terminated or revoked, all within the Northern Pindos National Park, of which three are in the Aoos sub-basin and one in the Sarantaporos sub-basin, specifically in the Zouzouli stream. The total capacity (installed and nominal) was reduced from 50.43 MW to 42.7 MW.
The map shows the location of water intake points and production stations for each SHP.
II. Production licenses with Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Approvals
Regarding SHPs with EIA approval, no changes are observed compared to the status of November 2024. One SHP in the Yotsa stream, which received an EIA in 2024 and has an installation license (see above), is under construction, while another six SHPs have secured EIA approvals, meaning they are very close to receiving an installation license. In addition, the Vourkopotamos SHP has received EIA approval, however, following the recent dissolution of the company managing the project (October 2024), it no longer appears in RAAEY data.
In total, the SHPs that have received EIA approval, installation license, and operating license include the four already existing SHPs in the areas of Samarina, Distrato, Vrysochori, and Ag. Paraskevi (Kerasovo) in Konitsa. In summary, the total number of SHPs with EIA approvals (including those with installation and operation licenses) in the Aoos River Basin amounts to 11 (Map 2), of which five are located within the new Protected Landscape and Protected Natural Formation (Table 1).
III. SHPs within the Protected Landscape and Protected Natural Formation (PLPNF)
There are 15 SHPs within the PLPNF—a decrease of three since November 2024: one operational in Agia Paraskevi (Kerasovo) of Konitsa, 13 with production licenses and one under evaluation.
Of the 13 SHPs with production licenses, four also have EIA approvals (Amarantos, Eptachori, Kefalovryso, Mesopotamos). However, as per Article 3 (para. 9 & 10) of the Ministerial Decision for the PLPNF (YPEN/DDFPB/61148/1574, Gov. Gazette 381/D/11.06.2024), the 13 SHPs without EIA approval cannot proceed with environmental licensing unless re-evaluated under the new regulatory and environmental criteria.
Close attention is needed for the four SHPs with EIA approvals and production licenses, which are considered as legally licensed existing projects. These may continue to operate or proceed to their operational stage, with modification or renewal of their EIA approvals, provided their environmental impacts are re-assessed under the updated regulatory framework.
IV. Violation of EIA condition: Excavations during the reproductive period of fish and bird fauna in the Yotsa Stream
In the summer of 2024, construction work began on the SHP in the Yotsa stream, a tributary of the Aoos River, following the issuance of an amended EIA approval by the Decentralised Administration of Epirus-Western Macedonia. It is important to note that the SHP in Yotsa stream had been cancelled in 2021, following efforts by the environmental organisations “Callisto” and the Hellenic Ornithological Society, based on negative opinions from NECCA and the Ioannina Forestry Directorate. As a result of the start of the works, the excavations had a destructive impact on the structure of the vegetation and the characteristics of the stream, while the excavations affect the priority habitat type 9530* “Sub-Mediterranean black pine forests” within the Natura 2000 site GR2130002 “Koryfes Orous Smolika”, an area that is a no-go zone for the installation of SHPs in accordance with the current Special Spatial Framework for Renewable Energy Sources (Gov. Gazette 2464/B/03.12.2008, Article 14, para. 1.e).
Since September 2024, MedINA, together with Callisto, the Mountaineering Club of Siatista “Bourinos”, and with the support of citizen movements from the Aoos region (Initiative of Aetomilitsa Residents, Mountaineering Clubs of Konitsa, Igoumenitsa, and Ioannina), filed a petition with the Council of State (CoS), submitting a Request for Suspension of works and a Request for Annulment of the Environmental Terms Approval Decision (AEPO) for the SHP on the Giotsa stream (Samarina–Distrato), seeking the permanent halt of its construction. On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, the case was heard before the Council of State, and the petitioners are currently awaiting the final decision.
Following a site inspection at the Yotsa stream in April, it was confirmed that excavation works resumed during the reproductive period of the Prespa barbel (Barbus prespensis), which lasts from April to July, thus violating special condition D.4.2. of the EIA approval. This condition stipulates that excavation and intake construction works, as well as the placement of the intake pipeline in sections that intersect or are adjacent to the stream, must be avoided during the fish reproduction period, as advised by the Fisheries Department of the Regional Unit of Grevena. At the same time, a violation of environmental condition 4 of the EIA approval was also recorded, which prohibits construction during nesting and reproductive seasons of birds, as well as during migratory periods of migratory birds. Following the Annulment Request submitted in February 2025 to the Council of State by MedINA, Callisto, the Mountaineering Club of Siatista, and local active citizens, Injunction Measures were filed at the Grevena Court of First Instance in June 2025. The hearing resulted in a temporary order to suspend the works until the final decision, which is scheduled for October 2025. This development marks a significant victory, both for the protection of the Aoos River and its tributaries, and for the defense of the legal framework for the protection of the natural environment.
V. Public consultation on SHP at Kefalovryso
MedINA, in collaboration with Callisto, submitted a comment form in the public consultation for the SHP planned at the Kefalovryso springs, in Pefkofyto, Municipality of Nestorio. This is the second SHP being planned just outside the newly established Protected Landscape and Protected Natural Formation, raising concerns about the practical application of the new protection framework. The previous project was proposed at the Plikati–Gorgopotamos location, during whose consultation MedINA had also participated in collaboration with other environmental civil society organisations.
The project in the location “Kefalovryso Springs” is being planned in a Natura 2000 site, within priority habitat 9530* “Sub-Mediterranean black pine forests”, which, according to the Special Spatial Framework for RES (Gov. Gazette 2464/B/03.12.2008, Article 14, para. 1.e), is a no-go zone for such projects. Furthermore, the project site is in close proximity (just 50 metres) to the area recently designated as Protected Landscape and Protected Natural Formation, whose objective is to preserve the free flow of the river, prohibiting SHP construction in the area.
The submitted comments highlight the significant impacts the project would have on the natural flow and connectivity of the river, the poor documentation of cumulative impacts in the licensing file, and the high ecological value of the area as a critical habitat for many flora and fauna species.
VI. Online SHP monitoring tool for the Aoos River Basin
As part of MedINA’s long-standing efforts to establish a unified and strong protection regime for the Aoos River Basin, both nationally and transboundary, systematic documentation of SHP development data in the Aoos River Basin is being carried out, as SHPs continue to pose one of the major threats to the free flow of the river. The monitoring of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) development is a particularly complex process, as the relevant decisions are made by different regulatory bodies and are not posted on a common website. This creates the need for a platform where data can be consolidated, allowing the public to track the status of each application.
Taking into account the complexity of collecting and systematizing available data, which come from multiple sources and agencies, in different formats and levels of accessibility, MedINA has developed an online tool that aggregates and presents information in a unified format, facilitating the monitoring and understanding of the current situation.
This interactive platform for monitoring the licensing status of Small Hydropower Plants in the Aoos River Basin will soon be operational. Through a user-friendly map, interested citizens, stakeholders, and organisations will be able to get real-time updates on the status of each project—from application submission and evaluation, to production, installation, or operation licenses, as well as on any annulment decisions. Users will also be able to receive notifications in case of modification or public consultation of a project.
With the creation of this platform, MedINA aims to ensure open and timely access to information regarding SHP licensing developments, strengthening public participation in water resource management. This platform will serve as a key tool to promote transparency, access to information, and active citizen involvement in the licensing process of SHPs.
References:
- Decentralised Administration of Epirus-Western Macedonia. Available at: https://www.apdhp-dm.gov.gr/
- Geospatial Map of the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water (RAAEY), July 2025. Available at: https://geo.rae.gr/
- Dimopoulos, T., Sakellarakis, F.N., & Pappa, A. (2023). Small Hydropower Plants in Sarantaporos, Aoos, and Voidomatis, March 2023. Available at: https://med-ina.org/small-hpps-aoos-position/
- Dimopoulos, T., & Pappa, A. (2023). Small Hydropower Plants in Sarantaporos, Aoos, and Voidomatis, July 2023. Available at: https://med-ina.org/small-hpps-aoos-position-july23-eng/
- Dimopoulos, T., Papageorgiou, D., & Pappa, A. (2023). Small Hydropower Plants in Sarantaporos, Aoos, and Voidomatis, November 2023. Available at: https://med-ina.org/small-hydropower-plants-on-sarantaporos-aoos-and-voidomatis-rivers-november-2023/
- Dimopoulos, T., Papageorgiou, D., Katsaros, A., & Spiliopoulou, K. (2024). Small Hydropower Plants in Sarantaporos, Aoos, and Voidomatis, May 2024. Available at: https://med-ina.org/small-hydropower-plants-on-sarantaporos-aoos-and-voidomatis-rivers-may-2024/
- Dimopoulos, T., Linardaki, E., Dimopoulou, M., & Sakellarakis, F.N. (2024). Small Hydropower Plants in Sarantaporos, Aoos, and Voidomatis, November 2024. Available at: https://med-ina.org/small-hydropower-plants-on-sarantaporos-aoos-and-voidomatis-rivers-november-2024/
- Platform for posting decisions on EIA Approvals, July 2025. Available at: https://aepo.ypeka.gr/
- Diavgeia, July 2025. Available at: https://diavgeia.gov.gr/
- Electronic Environmental Registry, July 2025. Available at: https://eprm.ypen.gr/
- Ministry of Environment and Energy, Decision YPEN/DD FPB/115155/3787 “Designation of a section of the Aoos River Basin as a Protected Landscape and Protected Natural Formation” (Gov. Gazette 6679/B/27.11.2023).
- Ministry of Environment and Energy, Decision YPEN/DD FPB/61148/1574 “Establishment of terms and restrictions for the protection and preservation of wild and free flow in the area of the protected natural formation and protected landscape of the Aoos River Basin in the Regional Unit of Ioannina, for activities carried out within the section designated by the decision YPEN/DD FPB/115155/ 3787/8.11.2023 of the Head of the General Directorate of Environmental Policy of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (B’ 6679)” (Gov. Gazette 381/D/11.06.2024).
This article was developed within the framework of the projects “Ri-Connect: The Aoos River as a Transboundary Ecological Corridor”, implemented by MedINA and funded by PONT, and “Aoos/Vjosa Campaign”, coordinated by EuroNatur, implemented by MedINA, and funded by the Holdfast Collective.