The construction of the 1MW solar power plant of the WEnCoop Energy Community in Kassandra, Halkidiki, has started at a very fast pace. WEnCoop is the first Women’s Energy Cooperative with a large shareholding structure in Greece and in Europe, for Women Entrepreneurs and their Businesses.

WEnCoop is an initiative of the Greek Association of Women Entrepreneurs – SEGE, in order for its members to be also active in the energy sector, utilizing RES in order to reduce energy costs in their businesses and increase their family income.

The idea was conceived a year ago, on December 2020, by Mrs. Apostolina Tsaltampasi, President of WEnCoop and SEGE and Mrs. Alice Corovessi, Vice President of WEnCoop and and Managing Director of INZEB and SEGE. With the signing of statute by 60 founding members, in July 2021, the establishment of the Energy Cooperative WEnCoop Limited Liability was completed and the file was submitted to HEDNO SA. The construction of the solar power plant has started on January of 2022 and its completion is expected at the end of February 2022.

“WEnCoop is the proof that an idea can become reality, through cooperation, good communication and mutual trust between the 60 members. “Aiming to implement the initiative of a project such as WEnCoop, we are moving forward in achieving the development and promotion of women entrepreneurship in the energy sector,” said Mrs. Apostolina Tsaltampasi.

At the same time, through the operation of the WEnCoop Energy Cooperative, the goal is to promote innovation in the energy sector, to address energy poverty, to promote energy sustainability, production, storage, self-consumption, distribution and supply of energy, as well as to improve end-use energy efficiency, at local and regional level.

The EU’s goal is for Europe to be the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The role of citizens is being strengthened and is gradually evolving from consumers to active members and micro-investors in local clean energy projects. The law for the Energy Cooperatives allows citizens, businesses and municipalities to work together to generate and save energy locally, as well as to develop other related services and products. The access to local, clean and economic energy and related services is now possible.

According to Mrs. Alice Corovessi, “Energy Cooperatives, like WEnCoop, are an important vehicle for the transition to a green economy and serve as important tools for achieving the EU goal to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.” The Energy Communities offer opportunities for all and through them the citizens become helpers both in the effort to promote energy produced from clean sources and in the protection of the environment. On the way to the energy transition there is no one left out. There is work for all and the need for increased participation of women in initiatives and actions such as the Energy Cooperative is important and necessary.

The next goal of WEnCoop for 2022 is the development of another MW, while in the community planning is the energy produced to be used in electric drive.