PPC denies lignite shortage
State-controlled electricity company Public Power Corporation (PPC) said yesterday that it has more than an adequate supply of lignite to power its plants in northern Greece, refuting press reports that it had been negligent in this area. PPC said it had 3.3 million tons of lignite on hand at its Ptolemaida power station in western Macedonia on December 1, which along with the supply at Megalopolis in the Peloponnese, came to 4 million tons. Reserves at Ptolemaida and at Megalopolis amounted to 2.2 million tons and 3 million tons respectively on December 23. The large stock shows clearly that PPC took timely measures, the company said in an announcement. It noted that lignite production and the corresponding production of electricity increased by a record 4 percent up to November. PPC said that demand for electricity rose by 15 to 20 percent in December alone, with both lignite mines and lignite-powered electricity stations able to respond to the demand. It stressed that the company’s ability to respond effectively to the situation came amid freezing weather in northern Greece as staff worked round-the-clock and through holidays in order to handle the hike in demand.
