Actualités • Actus des entreprises
Akuo launches crowdfunding for 4 solar plants in Thessaly, Greece
The first crowdfunding campaign in our country
PRESS RELEASE
03/07/2024
Akuo launches crowdfunding for 4 solar plants in Thessaly, Greece
In a modest reception, held at the Hotel Grande Bretagne with the presence of ministers, members of parliament, mayors, and energy market executives, Akuo Energy Greece, a subsidiary of the French Akuo Group, announced the launch of crowdfunding for green investments, a practice already applied abroad. This is the first crowdfunding campaign in our country, aimed at refinancing the Thessaly Solar Power project with a capacity of 4 MWp, which has been operating in Thessaly since August 2022. The project spans 20 acres of land and includes 4 photovoltaic stations.
"Our goal" emphasized Professor Kostas Andriosopoulos, CEO of Akuo Energy Greece, "is for the green transition to advance through the participation of society" describing Thessaly as a "model of energy democracy."
From July 1st, the AkuoCoop platform opened for registrations to raise investment capital from citizens wishing to invest in the local and sustainable economy. Presenting the platform, Sara Hernandez Nass, director of the Groundfunding AKUO Energy program, highlighted that "the crowdfunding campaign will be open to all citizens and businesses, aiming to raise one million euros, with the investment product taking the form of fixed-rate bonds at 6.5%."
The investment initiative of Akuo Energy Greece was enthusiastically welcomed by all speakers, including Deputy Minister of Environment & Energy, Alexandra Sdoukou, who described the crowdfunding campaign as an "innovative endeavor to promote green energy," emphasizing, "we want to see citizens play a role in energy developments. We want them to become shareholders in the country's energy transition effort." Deputy Foreign Minister, Kostas Fragogiannis characterized this action as a "pleasant event highlighting the value of economic diplomacy," and Deputy Minister of Rural Development & Food, Christos Kellas praised those advocating for the "energy democracy" model, especially in Thessaly, which was hit by a disaster last September.
Other speakers who welcomed the initiative of Akuo Energy Greece included General Secretary of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Ministry of Environment & Energy, Aristotelis Aivaliotis, General Secretary of Natural Environment & Waters of the Ministry of Environment & Energy Petros Varelidis, Mayor of Kileler Athanasios Nasiakopoulos, and François de Ricolfis, Head of the Economic Department of the French Embassy for Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Romania, and Antoine Guimard, CEO of Central Europe AKUO Energy.
In a message for the occasion, Eric Scotto, president and co-founder of AKUO, stated, "At the end of 2022, the Greek government announced its goal to increase the share of renewable energy sources in the country's energy mix to 80% by 2030, aiming to make Greece a leader in the EU! This commitment triggered the renewable energy industry to accelerate its efforts. For this purpose, Akuo wants to involve as many citizens as possible in its projects, which will benefit them overall." The photovoltaic park in Thessaly is the first stage of a very large portfolio of projects developed by Akuo in collaboration with the Region of Thessaly, expected to lead to the construction of units with a total capacity of 500 MW.
Akuo's Crowdfunding Platform on Lendosphere
AkuoCoop by Lendosphere is the Akuo Group's crowdfunding portal hosted by Lendosphere. The campaign's goal is to support projects with significant social and environmental impact selected by the Akuo Foundation. With AkuoCoop by Lendosphere, Akuo emphasizes the participation of local communities in the added value of its projects. Participation in funding is accessible online from €100 and up after prior registration on the Lendosphere-hosted portal: https://akuocoop.lendosphere.eu/
Investment terms and conditions (interest rate, duration, etc.) are presented at the following link: https://akuocoop.lendosphere.eu/projects/thessaly-solar-plants-greece
Contact:
Akuo Energy Greece S.A.
gr.office@akuoenergy.com / +30 210 80 19 807
About Lendosphere
Lendosphere is the specialist platform in crowdfunding – in loans and in equity – for sustainable development projects. Since it was launched in December 2014, its community’s 37,000 members have already invested over 300 million euros in almost 600 renewable energy projects, enabling a cumulative 2 million metric tons of CO2 emissions to be avoided annually. Lendosphere has been granted ECSP (European Crowdfunding Service Provider) status by the AMF French stock market authority.
For further information, please go to: www.lendosphere.com Follow us on: Facebook, X, LinkedIn
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