For the first time in decades, no coal smoke is rising from the Peloponnese, as Greece has retired its last two coal-fired power units in the region. Public Power Corporation (PPC) confirmed that Megalopolis-3 and Megalopolis-4, with a combined capacity of 500 MW, have been permanently shut down. The closures mark a milestone in the country’s coal phase-out, which is set to be completed next year.
Under PPC’s plan, all coal plants in Greece have now ceased operations except for Ptolemaida 5, a 660 MW unit in Western Macedonia that began operating in 2024. Two additional units in Western Macedonia remain on reserve to safeguard the national power supply.
PPC is preparing to transform the former Megalopolis thermal power station into a hub for new industries, while rehabilitation work is already underway at the local lignite mine. The company’s €490 MW renewable cluster in the area includes two photovoltaic farms of 125 MW each, alongside a planned 181 MW pumped storage hydropower facility on the former mine site.
Megalopolis is also set to host new industrial and technology projects under Greece’s Just Transition Development Program. Planned investments include a battery factory by Enercells and two 5 MW data centers by Eunice and Kiefer. These projects have been approved by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and will seek financing from the EU’s Just Transition Fund.
PPC CEO George Stassis has stressed the importance of data centers for former coal regions, noting that existing land and grid infrastructure make them ideal sites for such ventures. While PPC is developing a 300 MW data center in Western Macedonia, no equivalent project has yet been announced for Megalopolis.
