Decarbonization and sustainable energy transition to the post-lignite era in Greece

It has been proved that reaching the objective of complete decarbonization in Greece by the year 2028 is necessary to ensure the stability of the country's power-generating system and Greece's energy security. Since the middle of the 1960s, when lignite reserves were exploited for the purpose of power production, the Region of Western Macedonia, which includes both an industrial and an agricultural sector, has held a unique position within the borders of Greece. However, as a result of a strategy for the transition to a more sustainable energy plan, the majority of plants that were powered by lignite were required to shut down in 2019. A just transition in a post-lignite era requires strategic planning in order to avoid social, economic, and energy issues while simultaneously maximizing the amount of power output that is sustainable. The present study makes use of a SWOT analysis in order to carry out a comprehensive socio-economic analysis for the Region of Western Macedonia. This analysis takes into account all of the primary economic sectors that are present in the region that is being studied, and it discusses the priorities that have been set by the Energy Union in order to achieve its energy goals. Additionally, the study discusses the results of a generalized SWOT analysis that was applied to the specific strategy of the Energy Union, placing special emphasis on the axes requiring further support actions. According to the findings of the study, the Region of Western Macedonia possesses significant advantages and presents a multitude of fresh chances as it makes the transition to a new production model. On the other hand, its unemployment rates are quite high, and its competitiveness and innovation rates are quite poor. The difficulty to locate sufficient employment opportunities is the primary factor contributing to the desertification of the region. When taking into account the aims of the Energy Union, the Region of Western Macedonia follows the priorities of Europe in its transition to the new production model in a satisfactory manner; yet, there is a significant amount of potential for development.