Olympia Odos: Presentation of the environmental strategy to the Special Committee on Environmental Protection of the Hellenic Parliament

• The management of Olympia Odos presented its strategy for a zero carbon footprint.
• Innovating for People and the Environment

   

Olympia Odos accepted the honorary invitation and presented the environmental dimensions of the Motorway and the Company's Sustainable Development initiatives to the Special Standing Committee on Environmental Protection of the Hellenic Parliament on Thursday, April 10.

Dr. Panayiotis Papanikolas, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Olympia Odos, presented the work of Olympia Odos and its innovative projects for road safety, the environment and society, detailing the program that Olympia Odos is implementing to reduce the carbon footprint of the motorway to zero. The program implements two strategic options -energy reduction and self-generation of "green" energy- and is being developed in three phases:

• Replacement of conventional tunnel lighting with LED lighting, resulting in over 55% reduction in energy consumption;
• Replacement of the conventional lighting on the open sections of the road and implementation of the Adaptive Lighting system, resulting in a 75% reduction in energy consumption (50% thanks to the LED lighting and a further 25% thanks to the Adaptive Lighting innovation); 
• Self-generation of the energy -now reduced- needed by the infrastructure to operate, through 19 photovoltaic parks built along the Motorway.

  As Mr. Papanikolas pointed out, from 2018 to 2024, Olympia Odos has reduced the Motorway’s carbon footprint by 62%, and as early as 2026 it is expected to exceed the targets of the National Climate Law, which provides for climate neutrality by 2050.

Mr. G. Kazantzopoulos, Environment Manager, then presented the company's environmental initiatives and their results, emphasizing that the motorway is a hub of sustainable development that respects the environment, protects users and provides value to society.

The President of the Committee, Mrs. Dionissia Avgerinopoulou, thanked Olympia Odos for the detailed information and concern for the protection of the environment in the areas crossed by the motorway, stressing the need for resilient infrastructure to face the climate crisis. 

The Special Standing Committee on Environmental Protection held its meeting in the presence of deputies from all political parties, while from Olympia Odos also participated the Chief Technical Officer (CTO), Mr. Fabrice Breton, the Communication Manager, Mrs. Sofia Stamou, and the Electrical Engineer and Assistant Contract Manager, Mrs. Andriana Dimitriou.

During the meeting, a particularly interesting and fruitful dialog took place between the members of the Hellenic Parliament and the executives of Olympia Odos, and many substantive questions were raised, both on the traditional operation and maintenance of the motorway and on the extensive use of technology in the innovative projects implemented by the Company.