Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Western Macedonia on Thursday to inspect a new 80 million euro combined heat and power plant in Ptolemaida.
The facility, financed entirely by Public Power Corporation, is scheduled to begin operating gradually by the end of 2026 at the site of the former Kardia Thermal Power Plant.
Mitsotakis was accompanied on the tour by Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou, Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance Nikos Papathanasis, Deputy Minister of Interior for Macedonia and Thrace Kostas Gioulekas, Kozani MPs Stathis Konstantinidis and Michalis Papadopoulos, and Regional Governor of Western Macedonia Georgios Amanatidis.
Public Power Corporation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Georgios Stassis guided the delegation through the construction site of the high-efficiency combined heat and power unit. The installation will supply district heating to Kozani, Eordaia, and Amyntaio at competitive rates, maintaining local heating utility operations during the region's post-lignite transition.
Public Power Corporation, Greece's primary electric utility, is shifting away from coal-fired power generation under national decarbonization targets. Municipal district heating networks in northern Greece capture thermal energy produced during power generation to supply residential heating across regional towns.
Ptolemaida Energy Hub Development
During the site visit, Mitsotakis received a comprehensive update on Public Power Corporation investments at the former Kardia plant. The projects include a 350 megawatt pumped storage unit, 50 megawatts of battery storage, electric boilers, and synchronous condensers designed to support power grid stability.
Following the tour, Mitsotakis stated that the project refutes claims that Public Power Corporation is departing from Western Macedonia. He noted that the utility remains active in the area by building a complex energy generation scheme based on renewable sources, pumped storage, and natural gas.
Mitsotakis commended the Ministry of Environment and company leadership, describing Public Power Corporation as a national leader capable of expanding international operations. He added that a profitable utility helps support the national economy with competitive energy prices, aligning with government efforts to address living costs.
The Prime Minister emphasized that energy investments will generate numerous jobs in Western Macedonia. He expressed confidence that regional employment will turn positive within a few years, creating more higher-paying jobs than those lost during the retirement of lignite coal facilities.
Stassis reported that the combined heat and power plant will undergo phased commissioning from October through December 2026. He described the former Kardia facility as the focal point for multiple new technologies being deployed by the utility.
Stassis detailed the 350 megawatt pumped storage initiative, which features two large reservoirs. The upper reservoir holds 5 million cubic meters of water, while the lower reservoir utilizes an exhausted open-pit mine, functioning together as a large-scale energy storage system for the country.
He noted that 50 megawatts of battery capacity have already been installed at the site, alongside electric boilers, while synchronous condensers are being fitted inside the former power plant building to reinforce grid frequency and stability.
Kozani Hospital Expansion
Later in the afternoon, Mitsotakis visited the Mamatsio General Hospital of Kozani to inspect a newly constructed four-level wing spanning over 6,100 square meters and housing 101 patient beds.
The 3rd Regional Health Authority Governor Dimitris Tsalikakis and Hospital Governor Eftychia Kapatou led the Prime Minister through the facility, which was built under the national Just Transition mechanism using European and national infrastructure funds.
The new hospital wing will accommodate the facility's surgical and internal medicine divisions. It also establishes the region's first specialized High Dependency Unit for stroke patients, alongside dental clinics, physician offices, reading rooms, and a multi-purpose hall.
The building project is slated for public handover in the coming period. It follows the modernization of the hospital Emergency Department, which opened last month after receiving funding through the European Recovery Fund.
Mitsotakis highlighted the government's commitment to upgrading National Health System infrastructure, noting that he previously attended the laying of the wing's foundation stone in February 2023 and plans to return for its formal inauguration in the coming months.
The Prime Minister announced that additional Just Transition funds will support a full renovation of the older hospital building in Kozani, with work expected to begin shortly in coordination with the regional governor.
Mitsotakis also revealed plans for a new oncology support unit at the Bodosakeio Hospital in Ptolemaida. The facility will enable cancer patients in Western Macedonia to receive local care rather than traveling to Athens or Thessaloniki.
Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance Nikos Papathanasis stated that the Kozani medical projects demonstrate the effective deployment of European Union and national recovery funds to modernize regional public services.
3rd Regional Health Authority Governor Dimitris Tsalikakis formally welcomed the delegation to the completed 6,000 square meter surgical and internal medicine wing, which the hospital received days earlier, and invited the Prime Minister to return for the official opening ceremony.
