PPC warns of power cuts
As the weather across Greece warms up this week, the Public Power Corporation (PPC) is likely to hold controlled power cuts in parts of the country today due to protesters taking over one of its energy plants. In Kozani, northern Greece, residents have blocked the use of a conveyor belt transporting lignite to a PPC plant there in protest at the large amounts of pollution caused by the power station. PPC’s head of mining, Constantinos Melas, met with protesters yesterday and called on them to free up the 1,000-megawatt coal-powered plant. He said that if the protest action continues, the company will be forced to introduce controlled blackouts to avoid a general breakdown of the system. PPC is expecting demand to reach 9,000 MW today. However, the power company will only be able to produce 7,300 MW due to the shutdown of the Kozani plant by protesters.
