The reactions against the plan by ADMIE to run overhead 150kV cables between Chania and the termination of the Crete Attica undersea connection at Damasta continue to reverberate through the local media, including accusations of bad faith on the part of the grid operator. However it appears that discussions are ongoing as to how the plan which has caused so much controversy can be improved, so as to minimise its environmental impact.
Meeting with ADMIE
On Wednesday 13th March, a meeting with the ADMIE management board was held at the Heraklion offices of the Cretan Regional Authority, which is the body responsible for issuing environmental permits, at the invitation of the Authority’s secretary Maria Kozyraki. Those present included:
– the CEO of ADMIE Manousos Manousakis, his deputy Giannis Margaris and other ADMIE staff,
– the Regional Governor for Crete Stavros Arnautakis and the Deputy Regional Governors for Chania, for Heraklion and for Environmental Issues,
– the president of the Regional Union of Municipalities and mayor of Rethymnon Giorgos Marinakis, and the mayors of Chania, Panagiotis Simandirakis; Apokoronas, Haralambos Koukianakis; Amari, Pantelis Mourtzanos; Milopotamos, Giorgos Klados; and Malevizi, Menelaos Bokeas.
The meeting was closed to the press, but from remarks made afterwards by those attending it was clear that there had been little progress in achieving the radical change to the plan desired by Apokoronas and local environmental bodies, i.e. the laying of the cable underground.
Speaking to Haniotika Nea , the Deputy Regional Governor for Chania Nikos Kalogeris described the project as being necessary for the completion of the two undersea power connections. “I believe no-one can object to our having a Crete which is independent of fossil fuels,” he said. However, it was not possible to have such a large-scale technical project with zero environmental impacts, he added. “If we want a Crete which is independent and not to have any power supply problems in the next 40 to 50 years, this work is unavoidable for better or worse and we will have to endure the consequences, which we will try to minimise as far as possible.”
The mayor withdraws
The mayor of Apokoronas Haralambos Koukianakis, who had come in a common front with representatives of the opposition factions on the municipal council, told Haniotika Nea that the Deputy Regional Governor for Environmental Issues Nikos Xylouris had requested a two-month delay to allow for consultation with the municipalities. However the ADMIE president and his deputy had insisted that any changes arising from the consultation would require a revision of the plans and delays to electrical interconnection project.
At this point, by his own account, the mayor said “What did you invite us here for if it’s a fait accompli?” and, describing the meeting as “a mockery”, he withdrew along with his municipal councillors. He told the newspaper that he was calling a protest meeting at 5.00 pm on Sunday 31st March in the courtyard of the Agia Sofia Foundation at Agioi Pantes, so that all interested parties could join in a common expression of their opposition to the plan, and their determination that it will not be passed. The municipality has also created a web page to collect signatures in support of their stance.
Comments after the meeting
However, it would appear that following the mayor’s departure agreement was indeed reached on a two-month delay for consultations with the municipalities, as was confirmed by other statements to the media after the meeting.
ADMIE’s CEO Manousos Manousakis outlined the situation to reporters in the following terms:
“Today we had a discussion with local government officials on the plans for the transfer line between Chania and Damasta in Heraklion. We explained that this work is essentially a part of the electrical interconnection of Crete with the mainland, that is to say the Crete-Peloponnese interconnection and the main Attica-Crete interconnection form a single unified project, thanks to which Crete will have energy security and the Greek system will have stability, with the result that the touristic product of Crete will be able to maintain the high level at which it has been until today.
“We promised the mayors that within the technical limits permitted by the project, at specific points, we will examine the proposals which are put forward in the context of the process which is already taking place at this moment, so that we can come to an agreement and the work can proceed as soon as possible, so that it can be electrified in 2027 and there will no longer be any threat to the electrical stability of Crete.”
The mayor of Rethymnon Giorgos Marinakis was optimistic about the possibility of a partial burying of the cable, where “absolutely necessary”:
“We responded to an invitation from Ms Maria Kozyraki of the Regional Authority for us to discuss all together – the Regional Authority, local government and ADMIE – how this particular work can go ahead to cover the actual and interrelated needs of the island.
“The Regional Authority’s proposal, which I am happy to say was accepted by all, is for us to re-examine in specific cases what improvements can be carried out without risking the indefinite postponement of the project or there being an issue with the energy security of the island, and without wishing to contribute to any reduction of our independence, to an insufficiency of electrical energy. But we can improve some things, since, as was stated, Crete is not just what we call the city, it is the environment, it is culture, it is our localities, and whatever happens we must be convinced that it is done in such a way there is not excessive nuisance, not an excessive burden if you wish on the environment.
“I hope that things go well. We will have further consultations with the responsible Deputy Governor Mr Xylouris, as we have done on other issues, and I believe that we will combine our views all together so as to finally lay claim to a work which must be done and is highly necessary, as in our view there are currently regions of the island which are suffering adverse effects from diesel [as used for electricity generation], as is the case of Malevizi where we are in Heraklion…”
Asked by the interviewer whether the cable would be above or below ground, the mayor replied: “We said that the cable, where it can be and where laying it underground is feasible – that is the preferable solution. From what we understood, the cost of laying it underground is indeed much greater, it is nine times more than running it overhead, but where it is essential, I think everyone must accept the underground solution.”
The Deputy Regional Governor for the Environment Nikos Xylouris hoped for a satisfactory conclusion to the discussions which would ensue:
“There was a meeting today on the initiative of Ms Kozyraki which was attended by the management of ADMIE, the Regional Governor and the mayors who are affected by the project. There was a very constructive discussion, the positions and the proposals of the municipalities were put forward, and what we finally decided was there would be a delay of two months in giving the opinion of the Regional Authority, so that we can receive the final proposals of the municipalities, but after discussion with the municipalities on specific issues.
“I think that the view which came out from all the municipalities is that the work has to take place as it is necessary for Crete, for the future of Crete … but there must be some adjustments so that it can be done better both technically and economically for Crete. I believe that the result justifies the choice and the effort made by everyone, as I believe that during the next two months we shall have arrived at a specific decision.”
Other reactions
Since then, various expressions of opposition have been reported in the local press. On Thursday 21st March, the United Confederation of Agricultural Associations of the Nomos of Chania, offered the following opinion:
“We declare that we will honour in its entirety the common and unanimous decision of the Apokoronas municipal council and in no event will we permit the perpetration of this environmental crime, mortgaging the future of our locality and of the coming generations. We have an obligation at the least to preserve our countryside in, if not a better, at least the same condition in which we received it.
“The project will affect the environment and will change the physiognomy of an area of tremendous natural wealth, while no-one can answer to what effects the radiation emitted will have on the health of the area’s residents.”
Moreover, the Confederation said, “The work in question will not ensure cheap energy for the region’s popular classes, on the contrary it will satisfy the needs of ‘green’ investors who are always looking for more profits. It is a provocation when we hear talk of the energy upgrading of the island, of Crete’s transformation into an energy hub, at a time when electricity is being sold as an extremely expensive commodity with the result that hundreds of families are unable to pay their bills and live in fear of being cut off.”
The previous day Haniotika Nea reported that Apokoronas’s mayor Haralambos Koukianakis had accused ADMIE of trying to manipulate the Regional Authority’s vote on the transmission lines. “Some people are trying in devious ways to influence the votes of the Regional Councillors who take part in the Environment Committee, which will be called upon to give its opinion on the project,” he said. He also told the paper that the municipality had secured the presence of Damaskinos, Metropolitan of Apokoronas, at a council meeting to be held on 27th March, to coordinate activities at the protest meeting of 31st March at Agioi Pantes. “Therefore, Apokoronas has nothing to fear from anyone,” he warned.
The way forward
It is clear that despite these protests, the wholesale burying of the cable underground will not be achieved, and it remains to be seen how much adjustment of the route proves possible after the period of consultation with the municipalities. From the temporising comments made after the meeting with ADMIE, it seems that other mayors may have been less vociferous in expressing their concerns, and Mr Koukianakis could have painted himself somewhat into a corner with his reaction. He will no doubt be under pressure to compromise during the two-month consultation period.
What is also clear is that these last-minute negotiations could have been avoided if the issue had been discussed in more detail earlier. As we reported in an earlier post, ADMIE claimed that the matter had first been raised three years ago, but it appears that nothing was done about it at the time and clearly neither side took any steps to tackle the issue until now.