Last week, Greece was powered entirely by renewable energy for the first time in its history, according to Greece's Independent Transmission Operator (IPTO).

Last Friday (October 7), Greece was completely reliant on renewable energy to generate electricity for about five hours, reaching an all-time high of 3,106MWh at 8 o'clock (GMT).

"For the first time in the history of the Greek electricity system, 100% of demand is being met by renewable energy," the IPTO said.

"As IPTO becomes grid-connected onshore and offshore, new power capacity is being created for higher penetration of renewable energy, which will make our energy mix greener for years to come."

Renewables accounted for 46 percent of Greece's electricity mix as of August, up from 42 percent in the same period in 2021, according to Greek climate think tank The Green Tank.

Premium has previously reported on the Greek solar panel market "about to take off". The Greek PV industry benefits from growing corporate demand for renewable off-take agreements and EU clean energy policies.

In fact, the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, has approved a 2.27 billion euro ($2.56 billion) plan in Greece to support Greece's development of 4.2GW of installed solar energy system capacity. Previously, the Commission assessed the scheme under EU state aid regulations.

This program aims to support a variety of renewable energy sources, including solar photovoltaics and solar-storage in Greece and abroad.

Greece aims to achieve 25GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2030, currently, this figure is about 10GW.