Law no. 4951/2022. Modernisation of the licensing process for Renewable Energy Sources - Phase B, Licensing of electricity production and storage, framework for the development of Pilot Marine Floating Photovoltaic Plants and more specific provisions on energy and environmental protection.

This Law, consisting of 173 articles, divided into seven Parts, aims at creating a framework for the modernisation of the renewable energy sources licensing sector, through an uniform and coherent formulation of the so-called B phase of licensing of renewable energy sources and the issuance of related permits; for the production and storage of electricity; for the development of pilot marine floating photovoltaic stations; and for implementing specific measures for the protection of consumers and the natural environment. The Law concerns: license to operate power plants; wind turbines; environmental licensing; competent operator; certification; energy producer; heliothermic power station; electricity storage station; biomass and biogas station; agreements for the implementation of connection projects; hydroelectric power station. Part B of the Law provides for modernisation of licensing procedure for renewable energy sources, and covers the following matters: functional limitations for the increase of power margins of renewable energy sources; installation license and related permits; location of high efficiency renewable energy sources and electric co-generation stations; installation of renewable energy sources stations near or within the water supply lakes of Attica; installation of renewable energy sources stations in forests and private forest land.
Part C of the Law provides for incorporation of provisions of the Directive (EU) 2019/944 of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for the internal market for electricity, and covers the following matters: exercise of electricity generation and storage activities; determination of electricity consumption; issuance of licence for the production of electricity from fossil fuels; special conditions for operating power plants from renewable energy sources. Part D defines the framework for the development of pilot marine floating photovoltaic plants, and concerns: zoning and licensing procedure; association agreement regarding environmental licensing; concession of maritime space; obligations of owners of pilot marine floating photovoltaic plants. Part E concerns special provisions for energy sources, and covers the following matters: increasing the efficiency of renewable energy sources plants; participation of agricultural cooperatives in energy communities; green fund resources; emergency measures to strengthen the country's natural gas supply and distribution.
Part F concerns special provisions for the protection of the environment and covers the following matters: sustainable management of mining and quarrying activities; fees related to the exploitation of the geothermal fields; provisions on spatial and urban planning; waste and sewage disposal; projects on wastewater urban management; financing for the construction of sewage network.