Germany is promoting a mammoth plan for the utilization of solar energy in Greece, amounting to 20 billion euros.

The plan provides for the transformation of the unlimited solar energy reserve in this country through photovoltaic systems and the export of the electrical energy produces to Western Europe.

The initiative formed part of the discussions that Germany?s Deputy Economy Minister Stefan Kapferer had with the Greek ministers of finance, development and energy last Thursday in Athens.

The investment plan bears the name Project Helios and is set to create between 30,000 and 60,000 jobs in Greece.

The project concerns the installation of photovoltaic panels to a total capacity of 10 gigawatts, which is almost the same as the total installed capacity of Greece?s main electricity company, Public Power Corporation (PPC) amounts to 10.2 GW.

For all those panels to be installed, the plan requires a total surface of 200 square kilometers of public land, relieved from bureaucratic and legislative obstacles.