What role does energy management play for METLEN across the markets in which it operates?
For METLEN, energy management is the operating brain of our Integrated Utility model. Across all markets where we operate, it coordinates generation from thermal and renewable assets, storage, trading, aggregation and supply, connecting our own assets and third-party PPAs so we can operate efficiently and serve customers reliably within a highly interconnected and volatile energy system.
In practice, it encompasses forecasting and market bidding, risk and imbalance management, RES and storage aggregation, demand optimisation and flexible consumption patterns, and the creation of green products. This capability underpins resilience by responding dynamically to market, weather and demand signals. It supports system stability while offering businesses and consumers greater predictability in the availability and cost of energy. It also allows METLEN to scale internationally by applying consistent portfolio and risk-management practices beyond Greece.
In what way can this capability help companies and consumers gain access to sustainable energy?
Energy management is what makes sustainable energy accessible at scale. High renewable penetration increases variability in production and pricing, so METLEN uses forecasting, diversification, flexible assets, storage and hedging tools to smooth that volatility. Companies and households can then benefit from clean energy without bearing its full market risk.
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Through Protergia, this portfolio capability translates into customer-facing solutions: for businesses, tailored agreements such as PPAs, CfDs and optionality structures that improve bankability and cost stability; for households and SMEs, digital platforms and monitoring tools that provide transparency, real-time consumption visibility and savings opportunities. The result is sustainability delivered alongside affordability, reliability and confidence in supply.
Where does energy management fit into the design of efficiency programmes for business clients, commercial operations and households?
Energy efficiency starts with visibility and data. METLEN's energy management capabilities combine consumption analytics, continuous monitoring and market intelligence to design efficiency programmes tailored to industrial, commercial and residential profiles, turning energy use into something measurable and optimisable. For business clients, this enables smarter load management and AI-supported optimisation of consumption patterns. For households and smaller consumers, it translates into clearer insight into usage and costs, supporting behavioural change.
Which concrete benefits can companies and end consumers gain from the smart energy solutions and IoT applications Protergia offers?
Smart energy and IoT tools empower customers to play an active role in the energy system. Through Protergia, companies can use continuous monitoring, analytics and load optimisation to cut wasted consumption, improve cost control and translate data into operational value.
For end consumers, digital consumption monitoring combined with Protergia's digital tools provides near real-time tracking, clearer usage-pattern insight and identification of saving opportunities. This supports greater autonomy and better control over energy costs. We also offer solutions that help customers with seasonal or volatile demand smooth their expenses and pay more predictably. Overall, these smart solutions improve transparency, optimise energy use and help align consumption with system conditions.
What role does portfolio and aggregator management play in optimising the feed-in of renewables and high-efficiency combined heat and power?
Portfolio and aggregator management is essential to integrating renewables efficiently. By aggregating distributed RES and combining them with flexible assets such as high-efficiency CHP, METLEN can optimise scheduling, reduce RES imbalances, balance intermittency and ensure stable feed-in to the system. This is enabled by energy management capabilities such as market bidding, non-physical trading, management of energy from thermal and renewable assets, third-party PPAs, and RES and storage aggregation, linking physical optimisation with the market interface.
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For a diversified fleet that includes CHP alongside CCGTs and RES, aggregation improves market participation and value capture for renewable assets, supports grid stability during volatility, and enables the development of green products.
How is battery storage deployed within METLEN's energy management framework to drive decarbonisation?
Battery storage is treated as a flexibility and optimisation tool within METLEN's energy management framework. Storage absorbs excess renewable production, shifts energy availability in time, provides fast-response services and supports grid stabilisation, allowing higher renewable penetration without compromising reliability.
By integrating storage into portfolio management rather than treating it as a standalone asset, METLEN improves renewable dispatchability and the decarbonisation impact of RES, while reducing curtailment and balancing costs. This is reflected in METLEN's delivery of large-scale BESS solutions (standalone or hybrid/co-located) and in initiatives such as the publicly announced PPC Group / METLEN joint venture targeting up to 1,500 MW / 3,000 MWh of BESS in Romania, Bulgaria and Italy, designed to support renewables integration and system stability.
How can the synergy between the energy and metallurgy sectors enable intelligent and efficient energy use, and what can companies gain from this approach?
The synergies between METLEN's Energy and Metals activities allow industrial-scale energy intelligence to be developed and applied. Large, energy-intensive operations require stability, flexibility and precise cost management; when energy management is embedded across the value chain, industrial demand can actively contribute to smarter, more resilient energy systems.
Operationally, METLEN uses a basket of energy sources and optimisation capabilities to support the Aluminium of Greece plant (one of the largest energy consumers in the country) and wider metallurgy power needs. For companies, the benefit is reduced exposure to price volatility, improved efficiency and stronger security of supply, because an integrated utility with end-to-end capabilities (generation, trading, supply, optimisation tools) can structure more stable and efficient solutions, particularly for energy-intensive industrial users, while maintaining competitiveness across different price environments.
Where do you still see obstacles to business models focused on demand-side management?
Demand-side management (DSM) business models are still evolving, shaped by regulatory, technical and behavioural factors. Market design and access to flexibility services can vary across regions, while incentives and monetisation pathways for demand-side flexibility are still maturing. Companies may also face challenges related to metering infrastructure and data consistency, as well as measurement and verification approaches. Customer adoption can require adjustments in processes and operations, while data governance and cybersecurity considerations remain important when integrating sites and digital/IoT solutions.
"Demand side flexibility is a strategic asset"
While METLEN sees demand-side flexibility as an opportunity linked to dynamic pricing, new product design and new revenue streams for flexible end users, wider adoption will depend on regulatory clarity, digital readiness and stronger market mechanisms that consistently reward such flexibility.
To what extent does METLEN's Integrated Utility model position the company as a comprehensive energy solutions provider across its international footprint?
METLEN's Integrated Utility model positions the company as an end-to-end energy solutions provider rather than a set of isolated services. It operates across the value chain: from renewables and thermal generation, storage and energy trading to optimisation, retail supply (via Protergia) and smart energy solutions, all supported by connected divisions that can deliver projects, run assets, optimise output and serve customers with digital efficiency tools.
Because METLEN operates globally (five continents, more than 40 countries), this platform approach can be replicated across markets with consistent risk discipline and local adaptability. In an environment shaped by geopolitical uncertainty and an accelerating energy transition, integration is what allows METLEN to combine sustainability, resilience and cost efficiency, supporting its positioning as a comprehensive and dependable energy partner across its international footprint.
Interview by Hans-Christoph Neidlein
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