Amazon Creates First Solar Park in Greece

Amazon is continuing its investment in Greece with the creation of a solar park in Makrihoria, Aetoloakarnania.

This project is one of a total of thirty-nine new renewable energy projects announced by Amazon in Europe, adding more than 1GW of total clean energy capacity to European grids. According to the relevant announcement, Amazon has implemented more than 160 wind and solar projects in thirteen European countries. When all projects are operational, they are expected to deliver 5.8GW of clean energy. This capacity will be sufficient to meet the needs of more than 4.7 million households in Europe annually.

Energy Projects in Greece and Europe

The new projects include the placement of fifteen solar installations on Amazon infrastructure, as well as twenty-four wind and solar utility projects, including the company’s first solar park in Greece. Amazon’s project in Greece follows a similar solar utility installation by the company in Poland last year.

As expected, Amazon’s investments in these countries help accelerate the process of decarbonizing energy networks, reducing the need for the use of fossil fuels.

“With more than 160 wind and solar projects in Europe, Amazon is helping to provide new sources of clean energy to local grids, creating jobs, and supporting local businesses as we progress toward powering our operations with 100 percent renewable energy by 2025,” said Lindsay McQuade, Director of Energy, EMEA at Amazon.

In its announcement, the American giant pointed out that from 2014 to 2022, Amazon’s European wind and solar parks generated approximately €2.4 billion in investment in Europe, while contributing more than €723 million to the region’s GDP.

Amazon’s recent projects include rooftop solar installations in Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK, as well as solar and wind projects in Finland, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

Amazon announced its goal to power its operations, including its Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers, order fulfillment centers, and brick-and-mortar stores, with a hundred percent renewable energy by 2025. In 2022, ninety percent of the electricity consumed by Amazon internationally came from renewable energy sources.

Amazon’s Interest in Greece

Amazon’s interest in Greece can also be traced through the company’s previous initiatives. In 2022, Amazon claimed it will establish the first “smart” island hub on Naxos, featuring various advanced digital technologies. The company, alongside Greek political figures, unveiled the project, proposed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos in 2021.

Amazon introduced plans for managing the island’s marinas and employing drones for goods delivery and telemedicine services. Trial drone flights for transporting biological materials and aiding the Coast Guard’s surveillance were already in progress, utilizing Greek-made military-grade drones with advanced functionalities.