Greece Water Market overview 2024
Overview
The Greek government’s planned upgrades of water infrastructure throughout the country, coupled with the availability of European Union (EU) funding, need for compliance with
EU environmental directives and the country’s recent economic growth, provides ample opportunities for U.S. firms offering water and wastewater technologies.
As of January 2024, the Greek government is preparing the institutional legislative framework for the modernization of the organization, operation and staffing in the water and wastewater sector of the country’s municipalities; the drinking water supply and conservation infrastructures (supported by European Union Recovery & Resilience funding); and the management of municipal sewage and sewage sludge from sewage treatment. Opportunities exist in planned infrastructure upgrades for the management and optimization of urban wastewater and sewage sludge from wastewater treatment as well as urban wastewater collection and treatment projects.
In Greece, households and industries in 464 urban areas generate around 2.37 million cubic meters (m3) of wastewater every day. Urban wastewater is treated in 232 plants across the country.
The European Union’s Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) (Council Directive 91/271/EEC), outlines what Greece is required to provide in urban areas, with three key points listed below.
• Collection of 11.9 million population equivalent ** (roughly 60 grams of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) per person per day, equaling 200 liters of sewage) of wastewater
• Biological treatment to 10.5 million population equivalent of wastewater
• Biological treatment with nitrogen and/or phosphorus removal to 6.6 million population equivalent of wastewater
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal snapshot of Greece provides a breakdown of Greece’s water supply quality, wastewater treatment and water management: (https://www.sdg6data.org/en/country-or-area/Greece)
Market entry
Most drinking water production plants in Greece are publicly owned, while there are several private sector firms supplying bottled water. Partnering with a local firm is highly advisable as the local partner can provide knowledge of the Greek regulatory framework, language assistance and valuable business contacts. As business develops, companies may establish subsidiaries and make further local investments to expand their market share.
Market opportunities
As laid out in their annual 2024 plan, the Greek government plans to pursue the following projects:
a) Construction of 37 sewage network infrastructures and sewage treatment facilities
b) Upgrade, expansion, and modernization of 11 sewage treatment facilities and reuse of treated water
c) Construction of 16 sludge management infrastructures from sewage treatment facilities.
By promoting these projects, Greece will become compliant with EU Directive 91/271/EEC, while the connection to urban wastewater collection and treatment systems is also linked to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sewerage). The Greek government also plans to improve the framework for environmental licensing to mitigate consequences of floods on human health, the environment, cultural heritage, and economic activity.
In the coming years, the Greek government aims to make investments to improve the availability and quality of drinking water and reduce public health risks. These investment projects concern a) the construction of water supply infrastructure and desalination units, b) the implementation of telemetry-remote control systems to detect leaks in the water supply networks and c) the supply of digital water meters. Products and technologies supporting these projects are in high demand. The government will also modernize regional water management organizations, including in the region of Thessaly, to improve coordination of policy and water protection measures.
Environmental Technology trade events in Europe:
IFAT - Leading Trade Fair for Environmental Technologies, Munich, Germany
Pollutec 2024 - Environment & Energy Technologies Trade Show, Paris, France
Aquatech - Leading expo for process, drinking and wastewater, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Water related conferences in Greece:
International Conference on Wastewater, Athens, Greece – October 17-18, 2024
Contact information
For more information on opportunities in Greece, please contact Environmental Technologies Specialist Teresa Gile at Teresa.Gile@trade.gov
** In Europe 1 p.e. equates to 60 grams of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) per person per day, and it also equals 200 liters of sewage per day. In the United States, a figure of 80 grams BOD per day is normally used.