This interview was submitted by ANDRITZ Hydropower.  

Interview with Yioula Tsiknakou, Hydroelectric Projects Director, TERNA ENERGY S.A. with HydroNews, the customer magazine of ANDRITZ Hydropower

Yioula Tsiknakou is the Hydroelectric Projects Director for the Greek renewable energy company TERNA ENERGY S.A. where she is responsible for the development of energy projects. Among these projects is the groundbreaking pumped storage hydropower (PSH) project in Amfilochia. At a development cost of more than €600 million, it is the largest investment in energy storage in the country to date.  

For more than 20 years, TERNA ENERGY has played a leading role in clean energy production with many innovative projects that contribute to sustainable development. TERNA ENERGY has a strong portfolio of projects in Greece and is the country’s largest investor in the renewable energy sector, as well as the biggest Greek company in the sector worldwide. In the renewables sector, the current installed capacity is about 1,400 MW but the company’s strategy of dynamic growth represents an investment program goal to build a renewables project portfolio of 5 GW by 2029.  

In my role, I am responsible for hydropower project development, small and large PSH, and hybrid systems such as a combination of wind farms and PSH. In addition, I am responsible for supervising licensing and construction. The construction of this complicated project is under the construction branch of the group TERNA S.A, so TERNA ENERGY is the project owner and TERNA S.A. the contractor.  

How important is pumped storage hydro to the success of the Greek clean energy transition?

According to the recent National Energy and Climate Plan, Greece has enacted the climate law to reach net zero emissions by 2050. In 2024, total electricity production is estimated to be about 58 TWh, of which 35 TWh comes from renewables. By 2030, that production is estimated to reach 66 TWh, of which 54 TWh will come from renewables. That will be about 81% of the total production. In 2035, the total will be 88 TWh and the renewables will be 85 TWh, close to 100%, so the role of bulk energy storage is critical. The system needs large-scale storage of green electricity and the Amfilochia project, which is now under construction after many years of difficulties and obstacles, especially with regard to licensing, is leading the way. Emphasising the importance of this project is its status as a Project of Common Interest (PCI). Receiving funding under the European Commission’s Decision for State Aid in December 2021, the project gained approval for capital and operational support.

Please outline the key elements of the Amfilochia project and the ANDRITZ scope of supply.

There are two independent PSH systems, Agios Georgios and Pyrgos, with independent upper reservoirs and independent waterways. The two systems end up at the same powerhouse and although the two systems operate independently, they share a common lower reservoir: Kastraki Lake. The total capacity is 680 MW in power production mode and 730 MW in pumping mode. Agios Georgios has four units and Pyrgos two units. Construction costs for the total scheme is some €650 million.  

ANDRITZ will undertake the design, construction, supply, and supervision during the installation of the main electromechanical equipment including the pumped turbines, main inlet valves, and motor generators, along with associated auxiliaries and ancillary equipment and digital services.  

How important is the Amfilochia project to realising Greece’s hydropower ambitions?

We believe that the successful construction of Amfilochia will have a positive impact on the wider hydropower development in our country. Hydro development has been very limited since 1995, so we hope to meet all the challenges at Amfilochia and go on to construct additional projects. We also have under development about 3,000 MW, of which we think that we will finish about 1,500 MW by 2032. Amfilochia is the first project in decades, but we are now planning many more to build on its success. We hope to start another new pumped storage project in the next two years, and we currently have another large hydropower project in development.

How do you see pumped storage hydro in terms of the clean energy transition for Greece?

Projects like Amfilochia deliver high domestic value to the Greek economic domain because they create new jobs and are designed to maximise the value of renewable energy generation in Greece, but they also deliver value to the TERNA ENERGY group. This is important not just for achieving Greece's net zero ambitions, but because geopolitics are very difficult right now and this project supports security of energy supply.

We believe that pumped hydro storage is a better solution for the environment than batteries, which have very short storage times, two to four hours. This project will provide about 10 hours of storage per day, and we think that will be beneficial, not only for storing renewable energy, but for helping with things such as balancing and other ancillary services such as stabilising the grid and using the flexibility to contribute to the performance of the whole grid.

How have you found your experience working with ANDRITZ in developing this project?

We think that the cooperation with ANDRITZ will be successful. We have worked with ANDRITZ since 2007 because they were the supplier of the main equipment for two small hydropower plants that are now in operation. As one of the main suppliers of this equipment, we have participated in hundreds of big projects. We feel very confident that we will have a successful cooperation with ANDRITZ based on our previous positive experience and their competitive bid to win the contract.  

ANDRITZ was a big help in expressing the value that this PSH project would deliver to Greece and in support of its net zero ambitions.

Please give an overview of the current status of the Amfilochia project.

The lower reservoir is an existing lake, and initial construction of the upper reservoirs has already started. We are working in cooperation with both foreign and Greek organisations and companies because the project needs very detailed studies to proceed safely and so that it will be economically viable. We aim to achieve safe design and construction for all these hydropower projects. For Amfilochia, we think that we'll be in operation in 2027.

How do you think the success of this project and your role in that success will impact how women work in this industry in future?

As a woman in a senior role leading hydro development in a workspace traditionally dominated by men, I feel that there are challenges, but because I have the support of the company, I haven’t experienced any difficulties. I have had good experiences and work cooperatively with many experienced people, and I feel very proud that I have been selected for this role. As a woman entering the heavy engineering sector, it's important to have the right kind of company structure and support internally to succeed, and every success opens the door to more women in hydropower.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Amfilochia

Total output: 680 MW in turbine mode / 730 MW in pumping mode

Installed capacity: Pyrgos 2 × 110 MW / Agios Georgios 4 × 115 MW

Head: Pyrgos 285 m / Agios Georgios 243 m

Av. annual energy generation: 816 GWh

Yioula Tsiknakou

Yioula Tsiknakou has many years of experience in the field of hydropower. Her professional experience includes hydropower project design, strategy, economic evaluation, energy policy, and planning.  

In her position as Director of Hydropower Projects at TERNA ENERGY S.A., she is responsible for the development of energy projects (large and small hydropower plants, hybrid and pumped storage plants).  

She is a member of the Technical Chamber of Greece, the International and Hellenic Committee for Large Dams (ICOLD), the American Concrete Institute (ACI), and the International Hydropower Association (IHA).