Agios Dimitrios Power Plant demolition dispute

The planned demolition of the Agios Dimitrios Power Plant has moved into formal political and legal challenges. Initially, Vice President of the Greek Parliament París Koukoulopoulos filed a request for documentation from the Ministry of Environment and Energy to scrutinize the authorization for removing Public Power Corporation (DEI) equipment and cooling towers. Koukoulopoulos argued that rising natural gas prices make the plant’s continued operation a matter of public interest.

Following the administrative push, the situation escalated to the Council of State, which is set to hear a lawsuit opposing the destruction of the lignite-based infrastructure. The legal challenge, supported by thousands of citizens, argues that the demolition—which includes the blasting of five cooling towers—permanently eliminates electricity production capacity during a global energy crisis. Opponents also noted that the facilities represent significant public and worker property, citing recent investments such as a 100 million euro environmental upgrade completed in 2022.