Protergia S.A., a MYTILINEOS Group subsidiary, announces the launch of operation of three photovoltaic parks in Arta, Viotia and Aetoloakarnania, with a total combined capacity of 11.5 MW. The amount of the investment for the construction of the 3 parks stood at €23.5 million.

After the successful completion of the Group's investment plan regarding the development and operation of thermal power plants, as a result of which Protergia is currently managing a total capacity of 1,200 MW from three thermal power plants owned by the MYTILINEOS Group, the company is turning actively to the development of RES plants. With the addition of the above photovoltaic parks, Protergia now manages a total of 53.5 MW from wind farms and photovoltaic parks in operation.

Participating in the efforts to achieve the National Goal of 20-20-20, Protergia aims to have in operation by 2015 a total capacity of 400 MW from RES plants, mainly wind farms, provided that the economic situation in the country becomes stable.

The three new photovoltaic parks are situated in the Municipalities of Arta (Marathia/Kambi locality),Tanagra(Goureza/Dafni locality) and Aktion-Vonitsa (Karyes locality), adding up to a total 235,000 sq.m. (about 60 acres). They comprise of a total of around 39,000 solar panels utilizing polycrystalline module technology, supplied by SUNTECH, each with a nominal power output of 290 Wp. The direct current from the panels is transformed to alternative current using solar inverters supplied by SMA, with ABB transformers used for voltage elevation. Construction of the parks was assigned to VIOSAR ENERGY as a turn-key project, with TUV Hellas undertaking the quality assurance.

The three PV parks are expected to produce annually a total of 14,600 MWh of “green” power. Thus, their operation will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7,000 tons of CO2-equivalent annually – a quantity that corresponds to planting 18,000,000 sq.m. of new forest (some 4,500 acres).

For more details, please contact:

Mrs Katerina Mouzouraki, Group Press & Media Relations Supervisor (Tel.: 210-6877484, Fax: 210-6877400, e-mail: katerina.mouzouraki@mytilineos.gr).

Protergia S.A. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the MYTILINEOS Group that manages the total of Group's assets and activities in the energy sector. Protergia's strategic priorities are the development and/or management of a dynamic and diversified portfolio of energy assets, establishing a leading position in the wholesale and retail electricity markets and the market for CO2 emissions trading, and the future expansion in neighbouring high energy demand countries.