Summary

A research study by the National Technical University of Athens (NTU) concludes that the planned high-voltage power line between Chania and Damasta violates Greek urban and spatial planning law and that the environmental impact assessment submitted by grid operator ADMIE contains serious gaps. The researchers found that alternative routes existed but were not examined with sufficient rigour, and warn of significant consequences for the natural environment, villages, agriculture and tourism in the Apokoronas area. The municipality has rejected the project and says it will pursue the matter through legal and institutional channels.

NTU study raises serious questions over planned power line through Apokoronas

A scientific study by the National Technical University of Athens (NTU) has concluded that the planned high-voltage transmission line between Chania and Damasta is legally and environmentally problematic. The study was presented publicly in Apokoronas and accepted unanimously as the research team's final deliverable, before a large audience of residents and representatives of professional and business associations.

What the study found

The NTU research team concludes that the project, as currently planned, violates Greek urban and spatial planning legislation. A professor involved in the study described the line as "dangerous" and legally untenable. The study also identifies what it characterises as serious weaknesses in the environmental impact assessment submitted by ADMIE, the national grid operator responsible for the project.

A key finding is that alternative routing options for the line were not examined with the seriousness the situation demands. The study identifies routes that the researchers say could and should have been considered.

What could be at stake for the area

According to the study's findings, the current planned route would have significant consequences for:

The natural environment: impacts on ecosystems and natural areas along the route

Villages and settlements: the line would pass in close proximity to inhabited areas

Agriculture: risks to the primary sector, which is central to the local economy

Tourism: potential damage to the landscape and, with it, to a key industry for the region

Long-term sustainability: broader concerns about the area's future development

The municipality's position

The Apokoronas municipal administration has opposed the project since it was first proposed, according to its own account. It says it will not negotiate or compromise over the issue, and intends to pursue resolution through institutional and legal processes. The municipality says it trusts the Greek courts and state institutions to handle the matter.

The municipality's statement also addresses local political figures, calling on anyone seeking a role in Apokoronas politics to take a clear public stance on the issue rather than remaining silent.

What happens next

The NTU study is intended to serve as the scientific basis for further legal and political steps. No specific deadlines or procedural dates are mentioned in the available statement. Residents wishing to follow the case can monitor the municipality's official website for updates.

Note: This report is based on a press release issued by the Apokoronas municipal administration. The assessments of the study and the project reflect the municipality's position. No response from ADMIE is included in the source.

PRESS RELEASE – "Science Has Spoken – Apokoronas Does Not Back Down"

May 22, 2026, 10:25 AM

Professor of the National Technical University of Athens, Mr Belavilas:

"The project is dangerous and violates urban and spatial planning legislation."

In the presence of a large number of citizens and representatives of scientific and productive bodies, the public presentation and unanimous acceptance of the final deliverable of the research study by the National Technical University of Athens concerning the planned high-voltage line Chania–Damasta took place.

The mass participation of the public proved that this issue concerns the very identity, the environment, the history and the future of Apokoronas and of Crete as a whole.

The distinguished professors and research team of the National Technical University of Athens presented a well-documented, scientifically complete and absolutely serious study, which effectively dismantles key claims made by ADMIE and highlights the serious gaps and weaknesses of a deficient Environmental Impact Assessment.

The study proves that alternative routing options existed and continue to exist, which were not examined with the required seriousness, while at the same time it confirms the serious consequences that may arise for the natural environment, the settlements, the primary sector, tourism and the overall sustainability of our area.

The Municipality of Apokoronas has from the very first moment stood with a clear position against a choice that ignores the will of the local community and underestimates the value of this place.

The Mayor of Apokoronas, Charalampos Koukianakis, stated:

"We do not transact.

We do not stay silent.

We do not negotiate the future of Apokoronas.

We stand with responsibility before the people of this place, before its history and before future generations.

We have absolute trust in Justice and in the institutions of the Greek State, and we wish for the matter to be resolved through institutional processes, with respect for scientific truth, the environment and society.

Because everyone knows that Apokoronas is a place with deep historical memory, dignity and soul. And no one would want the moment to come when the Apokoroniot voice and the soul of this place would need to speak forcefully.

At the same time, today's juncture is also a moment of responsibility for all those who aspire to play a leading role in the municipal affairs of Apokoronas.

On issues this critical, there is no room for half-statements, evasions and silences.

Society demands clear positions, public discourse and responsibility.

It cannot be that some are absent when the area is fighting for its future, while at the same time hiding behind parties, mechanisms and personal balancing acts, waiting for the right moment to present themselves as the voice of society.

Apokoronas remembers who stood by its side and who chose to stay silent.

And this society has learned to distinguish those who fight for the place from those who merely plan their political careers upon the anxieties of its people.

The Mayor of Apokoronas Charalampos Koukianakis"