Just clean Energy transition of Diapontia Islands (JEDI) is a project supported by NESOI European Islands Facility, managed by our partners from CERTH, and promoted by the Municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands.
What is JEDI?
The project foresees the full decarbonization of the Ereikoussa and Othonoi islands’ power systems, which are not interconnected with the mainland, and the construction of a green marina in Mathraki.The existing diesel-based power stations will be replaced by hybrid power stations (HPS) combining a wind turbine, a photovoltaic station, and a battery system. It also includes the transformation of the port of Mathraki island into a smart marina, including the creation of an Energy Community.
The JEDI project was motivated by the will to move away from oil-based power generation, as currently there are two thermal plants in Ereikoussa and Othonoi. Moreover, the development of sustainable energy infrastructure is anticipated to draw attention from both tourists and new long-term residents to these isolated islands with few populations. Also, the establishment of an energy community is being thought about to oversee all the infrastructure and initiatives that are being considered.
As previously highlighted, the project would also benefit local companies as more people are expected to visit the islands, boosting their tourism and economic activity. Through this project, incentives are provided to encourage more people to reside on the islands and to expand travel routes to reach them so that they can be visited all year long. Also, many permanent new jobs specific to the operation of the overall system are envisaged.
JEDI can become part of the islands’ branding strategy as a sustainable touristic destination leading to increased local economic and social activity. In addition, the project can be easily replicated in all small non-interconnected islands with high energy costs and in every Greek island’s local port.
Hybrid power stations combining wind, solar & battery storage
Installation of hybrid power stations (HPS) combining complementary renewable energy sources (wind and solar) and a battery energy storage system (BESS) to assist in balancing the generation and adjusting it to the load can ensure clean energy transition on non-interconnected islands.
A technical study must be done to size such a station with the goal of achieving high renewable penetration levels (greater than 80–90%), considering the unique characteristics of extremely small island systems, the intended levels of renewable energy, and the regulatory environment.
The HPS being considered in the case of Ereikoussa consists of a 700 kWp PV power plant and a 2 MWh BESS.
The HPS can typically meet 81% of the island's electrical energy needs in this configuration. In the case of Othonoi, the HPS under consideration consists of a 1.75 MWh BESS and a 550 kWp PV power plant. With this setup, the HPS can typically supply 83% of the island's electrical energy needs. The diesel-based local power station (LPS) will only operate when there is a high demand for electricity and a low level of wind generation.
How does NESOI Support this project?
NESOI helps the JEDI project regarding both technical and financial aspects.The main challenges faced are:
- the limited area of municipal land (mainly in Ereikoussa),
- the operation and maintenance of the proposed systems, and
- the existence of suitable technical personnel that will need to be trained
- Finding appropriate financing solutions for individual interventions.
More in specific, NESOI has provided the following support to this project:
- Identification of suitable technological options given existing project sizing requirements
- Definition of the required environmental permitting procedures
- Cost-Benefit, socioeconomic and environmental analysis
- Risk analysis and identification of available mitigation strategies and Assessment of existing procurement options
- Financial modeling and identification of target scenario and Identification of financing/funding options: i.eu
- Identification of the preferred option and corresponding definition of project inputs
- Action plan and identification of project monitoring procedures
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