Small Hydropower Plants on Sarantaporos, Aoos and Voidomatis rivers, November 2024

Small Hydropower Plants on Sarantaporos, Aoos and Voidomatis rivers, November 2024

  • ΕΛ

By
Thymios Dimopoulos, GIS Specialist – Architect/MedINA
Irilena Linardaki, Ri-Connect Project Coordinator/MedINA
Marianna Dimopoulou, Water Policy Officer/MedINA
Fanourios-Nikolaos Sakellarakis, Freshwater Programme Manager/MedINA
Edited by: George Dimitropoulos, Urban-Spatial Planner & Fundraising Officer/MedINA

The summer of 2024 marked a milestone for the protection of the Aoos River Basin with the issuance of the long-awaited decision by the Ministry of Environment (YPEN/DD FPB/61148/1574, Government Gazette 381/D/11.062024). This decision established the terms and restrictions for safeguarding the Protected Landscape and Protected Natural Formation (PLPNF), emphasizing the necessity of maintaining the free flow of the Aoos River and its main tributaries, Sarantaporos and Voidomatis. Specifically, the decision prohibits the construction of dams and hydropower plants of all categories, including Small Hydropower Plants (SHPs), throughout the region.

Map 1. The boundaries of the new Protected Landscape and Protected Natural Formation (pink color) in the Aoos River Basin (red outline). The National Park of Northern Pindos is shown in light green, while the darker sites represent regions included in the European Natura 2000 network.

Shortly after the issuance of this Ministerial Decision, MedINA organized the first Greek Science Week in Sarantaporos, hosting over 60 scientists from 11 countries. Together with journalists, photographers, and artists, they conducted extensive field research across various disciplines. This new data will enhance the protection of the area, highlighting its rich biodiversity and ecosystem services while enabling the development of integrated management measures and proposals.

Since March 2023, MedINA has been regularly monitoring the licensing progress of Small Hydropower Plants (SHPs) planned in the Aoos River Basin. The data collected from various sources are presented below [see: Geospatial Map of the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy, and Water (RAAEY)1, the Decentralized Administration of Epirus-Western Macedonia2, the Electronic Environmental Registry3, the Ministry of Environment’s platform for Decisions on EIA Approvals (aepo.ypeka.gr)4, the Municipality of Zagori, the Municipality of Konitsa, the Diavgeia transparency website5, and active citizens of the broader region].

I. Current licensing status of SHPs in the Aoos River Basin

Following our previous articles from March6, July7, and Νοvember8 2023, and May9 2024, we look at the number of SHPs in the Aoos River Basin and their licensing status, according to the data collected from the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy, and Water (RAAEY). A detailed description of the licensing process and stages can be found in our March 2023 article. The following graph presents the status of SHPs in March, July, and November 2023, as well as in May and November 2024 (Graph 1).

Graph 1. Total number of SHPs per licensing stage, according to RAAEY data for March, July, and November 2023, and May and November 2024.

The total number of Small Hydropower Plants (SHPs) in the Aoos River Basin currently at various licensing stages, according to data from RAAEY, is forty-two (42). This marks a reduction of seven (7) applications compared to May 2024. Of these 42 SHPs, four (4) are operational with a license, one (1) in the Giotsa stream has received an installation license, twenty-eight (28) have a production license, and nine (9) are under evaluation (see Graph 1 and Map 1). Changes were observed in production licenses, which decreased by four (4), and in applications under evaluation, which dropped by three (3). Of the applications under evaluation, two (2) new ones were submitted for Vourkopotamos, within the site designated as a PLPNF (Government Gazette 6679/B/2023)10. One (1) application did not progress further, and four (4) applications advanced to production licenses.

Regarding production licenses, eight (8) were either canceled or revoked. Among these, two (2) were in the Aetomilitsa stream, two (2) in streams contributing to Vourkopotamos, one (1) in the Marditsa stream, one (1) in Vourbianitiko, and two (2) in the part of the Aoos basin within the Northern Pindos National Park. Notably, two (2) of these projects were located within the newly designated PLPNF site, specifically in the Marditsa stream and a tributary of Vourkopotamos. Of the four (4) new production licenses issued, three (3) pertain to projects located within the PLPNF site. Among these, two (2) are in the Marditsa stream, while one (1) is in the Vikos stream (Zagori Municipality). As a result, the total installed capacity (both nominal and operational) has decreased from 54.71 MW to 50.43 MW.

Map 2. Overall status of SHPs in the Aoos River Basin by licensing stage. Data sourced from RAAEY (November 2024). 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, one (1) SHP in the Giotsa Stream has received an installation license (see above) and is currently under construction. Additionally, six (6) SHPs have secured EIA Approval as Category A2 projects, indicating they are very close to obtaining installation licenses. Furthermore, the Vourkopotamos SHP, which had received EIA Approval, no longer appears in the RAAEY data following the recent dissolution of the managing organization (October 2024). In addition to SHPs with EIA Approval, installation license, and operational license, there are four more (4) operational SHPs located in Samarina, Distrato, Vrysochori, and Agia Paraskevi (Kerasovo) in Konitsa. Summing up, the total number of licensed SHPs within the Aoos River Basin amounts to eleven (11) (Map 3), five (5) of which are located within the newly designated Protected Landscape and Protected Natural Formation (Table 1).

Map 3. Eleven licensed (11) SHPs in the Aoos River Basin: Four (4) operational, one (1) with an installation license at Giosa Stream, and six (6) with production licenses and EIA Approvals. Each SHP is shown with the locations of its water intake and production station. For the SHP at Eptachori, four (4) water intake points are marked.

III. SHPs within the Protected Landscape and Protected Natural Formation (PLPNF)

A total of 18 SHPs are located within the boundaries of the newly designated PLPNF. Among them, one (1) SHP located in Ag. Paraskevi is operational, thirteen (13) have production licenses, and four (4) are under evaluation. Out of the thirteen (13) SHPs with production licenses, four (4) have received an EIA Approval (in Amarantos, Eptachori, Kefalovryso, and Mesopotamos).

Table 1. Overall status of SHPs in the Aoos River Basin in relation to their licensing stage, EIA Approval and protection status of their location.

It should be noted that, according to Article 3 (§9 and §10) of the new Ministerial Decision (YPEN/DDFPB/61148/1574), the thirteen (13) SHPs without EIA Approval cannot proceed to subsequent stages of environmental licensing. Additionally, it is crucial to monitor the progress of the four (4) SHPs that are at the production licensing stage and have received EIA Approvals, as their cases are being individually reviewed by the competent licensing authority.

IV. Current situation in the Aoos River

Despite significant progress regarding the institutional protection and the recognition of the Aoos River and its tributaries as a result of the Sarantaporos Science Week, the area continues to face pressures and threats, particularly from the development of Small Hydropower Plants (SHPs).

Illegal commencement of construction works for the SHP at Giosa Stream (Samarina-Distrato)

During summer, construction works began on the SHP at Giotsa Stream, a tributary of the Aoos River, following the issuance of a modified EIA Approval decision by the Decentralized Administration of Epirus-Western Macedonia. Notably, the SHP at Giotsa Stream had been previously canceled in 2021 after concerted efforts by the environmental organisations “Callisto” and the “Hellenic Ornithological Society,” supported by negative opinions from the Natural Environment & Climate Change Agency (NECCA) and the Forest Directorate of Ioannina. The commencement of construction has already caused severe damage to the vegetation and structural integrity οf Giotsa Stream. Excavation activities have affected the priority habitat type “Sub-Mediterranean Pine Forests” (code 9530*), which lies within the Natura 2000 zone GR2130002 “Smolikas Mountain Peaks”.

This zone, located within the Northern Pindos National Park, is designated as an exclusion area for SHPs, hence construction violates both the national and the EU legislation. In response, as early as September 2024, MedINA, in collaboration with Callisto, the Mountaineering Association of Siatista, and citizen movements in the Aoos region, filed a Suspension Request and an Annulment Petition with the Council of State to halt the project. An on-site inspection realised by MedINA’s staff on November 12, 2024, confirmed ongoing excavation activities, with over 2.5 hectares of land cleared (see Map 4 and Image 1).

Map 4. Mapping of the impacted area in the Giosa Stream area using satellite imagery and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The area affected by construction activities is highlighted in bright red (visible in both the main and inset maps). This mapping methodology compares satellite images from 2023 (prior to the commencement of works) and 2024 (after construction began), illustrating the extent of disturbance (see Image 1).

 

Image 1. Destruction of Black Pine Forests and the Giotsa Stream due to earthworks for the construction of the Small Hydropower Plant. © MedINA 

Public Consultation for the SHP at Plikati-Gorgopotamos

Simultaneously, in October 2024, the SHP at Plikati-Gorgopotamos was submitted for public consultation via the Electronic Environmental Registry (https://eprm.ypen.gr/src/App/w2/10282). Despite being located within the Natura 2000 site “Grammos Mountain Peaks” (GR1320002) and just one kilometre from the boundaries of the newly designated Protected Landscape and Protected Natural Formation (PLPNF), the proposed project also lies less than 500 meters from the settlement of Gorgopotamos. This violates Article 9, paragraph 1, of the Presidential Decree of 2-13.3.1981, which prohibits the construction and operation of even low-impact industrial installations within the boundaries of settlements established before 1923, or within a 500m radius from their boundaries.

Map 5. Location of SHP in relation to the boundaries of the settlements of Gorgopotamos and Plikati, including a 500m buffer zone. The map illustrates that the Production Station of the SHP lies within the 500m buffer zone from the boundaries of Gorgopotamos.

MedINA, Callisto, the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (EEPF), and the Hellenic Ornithological Society, as civil society environmental organisations, raised serious objections during the project’s public consultation. It is noteworthy that seventeen (17) Cultural Associations, Unions, and Brotherhoods from the Municipality of Konitsa also submitted objections and negative opinions during the consultation. Additionally, negative opinions were issued by both the Municipality of Konitsa and the Region of Epirus.

More strongly than ever, it becomes evident that protected areas—specifically, the Northern Pindos National Park, the Natura 2000 sites, and the recently designated Protected Landscape and Protected Natural Formation—form a mosaic of protection frameworks that fail to effectively safeguard their conservation targets (such as species or habitat types listed in Annex I of Directive 92/43/EEC) as well as the free-flow of the rivers.

MedINA remains committed to advocating for the protection of the Aoos River and its tributaries. At the local, national, and international levels, MedINA actively supports initiatives to preserve the river’s free flow and establish an integrated management regime across the Aoos River Basin, with the ultimate goal of creating the first Transboundary Wild River Park in Europe, that of the Aoos/Vjosa River.

 

Bibliography

  1. Geospatial Map of the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water Management (RAAEY), October 2024. Available at: https://geo.rae.gr/
  2. Decentralized Administration of Epirus-Western Macedonia. Available at: https://www.apdhp-dm.gov.gr/
  3. Electronic Environmental Registry, November 2024.Available at: https://eprm.ypen.gr/
  4. Platform for Posting Decisions on Approval of Environmental Conditions Decisions (ETAD), November 2024. Available at: https://aepo.ypeka.gr/
  5. Diavgeia, May 2024. Available at: https://diavgeia.gov.gr/
  6. Dimopoulos, T., Sakellarakis, F.N., & Pappas, A. (2023). Small Hydropower Projects in Sarantaporo, Aoos, and Voidomatis, March 2023. Available at: https://med-ina.org/small-hpps-aoos-position/
  7. Dimopoulos, T., & Pappas, A. (2023). Small Hydropower Projects in Sarantaporo, Aoos, and Voidomatis, July 2023. Available at: https://med-ina.org/small-hpps-aoos-position-july23-eng/
  8. Dimopoulos, T., Papageorgiou, D., & Pappas, A. (2023). Small Hydropower Projects in Sarantaporo, Aoos, and Voidomatis, November 2023. Available at: https://med-ina.org/small-hydropower-plants-on-sarantaporos-aoos-and-voidomatis-rivers-november-2023/
  9. Dimopoulos, T., Papageorgiou, D., Katsaros, A., & Spiliopoulou, K. (2024). Small Hydropower Projects in Sarantaporo, Aoos, and Voidomatis, May 2024. Available at: https://med-ina.org/small-hydropower-plants-on-sarantaporos-aoos-and-voidomatis-rivers-may-2024/
  10. 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 Natural Formation”, Government Gazette 6679/B/27-11-2023.
  11. European Environmental Agency, November 2024. Available at: https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/eea-coastline-for-analysis-2/gis-data
  12. Electronic Environmental Registry, November 2024. Available at: https://eprm.ypen.gr/

 

Cover photo: Sarantaporos River. © Aris Giannoukos/MedINA

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.