PM Mitsotakis visits facilities of innovative businesses Sunlight in Xanthi

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis paid a visit to the industrial battery manufacturer Sunlight Group and the Thrace Greenhouses hydroponic facilities in Xanthi, northeastern Greece, on Thursday.

At Sunlight Group's facilities Mitsotakis referred to the export of the key manufacturer's batteries and the company's contribution to energy storage units. "We do not always have sunshine and it is not windy every day, therefore storing energy is key to increasing the penetration of renewable energy sources (RES) in the mix for the production of electricity," the premier said. RES related to both large-scale photovoltaics and those built by Sunlight for homes, which could be used in the subsidy program for households called "Photovoltaics on the roof". Finding a way to store energy would stabilize the entire energy-producing system, he added.

CEO Lambros Bitsalas provided a tour of facilities at the units manufacturing lead and lithium batteries, and about the company's vertical integrated production including production and recovery of lithium elements in Greece. He also said Sunlight Group operates a battery recycling center in Komotini and a production unit for industrial materials in Kilkis, both also in northern Greece. The company has over 200 employees and exports technical know-how and innovation to more than 115 countries, while it is well placed in the electric industrial vehicle sector.

Mitsotakis spoke with employees, several of whom returned to Greece to work for the company.

At the Thrace Greenhouses facilities, which belong to the Thrace Group, the premier was briefed about the hydroponic system of agricultural production that uses geothermal energy from the Neo Erasmio beds, south of Xanthi. The unit has a nearly neutral carbon footprint, despite being the largest such greenhouse in southeastern Europe. The specific hydroponic system also uses nearly 90% less water than conventional cultivation methods, the premier was told.

The company will invest 14 million euros to expand the greenhouses by 13 hectares (130 stremmas) by 2026. Currently, 230 people work at the greenhouse unit, and plans are to hire another 130 in the next 4 years, officials said.

Northern Greece

Earlier in the day Mitsotakis toured Eleftheroupoli, Kavala and Chrissoupoli. In the evening, he addressed a New Democracy event  at the Xanthi municipal amphitheater.