Outside - Wärtsilä

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ide
living and prospering
the grid
21

Ferry traffic and
electricity generated
using diesel engines
are two essential
lifelines in the
Cyclades, the Greek
islands located
southeast of Athens.
22 Twentyfour7. 2.08
TEXT ANd PhOTOS: VESA ESKOLA
It’s not yet seven o’clock in the morning, but Piraeus, the port city on the hem of
the Greek capital city, is a hive of activity as the big ferries moored at the quays
swallow a constant stream of people and vehicles. And this is only mid April, the
off-season. In summer and early autumn, the harbour is filled to bursting point
with tourists heading out to islands in the Greek archipelago.
Ferrying around. We’re standing on the aft deck of m/f Blue Star Naxos, a
124-metre ferry which can carry 1450 passengers and 240 cars. The deck is gently
vibrating to the rhythm of the ship’s engines. It’s a soothing element in the electric
atmosphere that accompanies departure. Even if this trip is not heading for the
unknown, adventure sparkles in the air. The salt sea air always evokes romance.
The first rays of the sun start to caress the people out on deck enjoying the
view: regular tourists, backpackers, opportunists, adventurers, people on business,
relatives setting out to visit their families... Some share our excitement, others are
clearly not so excited.
These ferries are literally the lifeline of the Greek islands. Beside their human
cargo, they also transport every kind of consumer good from matchboxes to
ovens, all kinds of supplies and of course bills and love letters side by side – all the
things that modern civilization requires to function.
The logistic challenge is enormous. Roughly 120,000 people are scattered
around 200 islands. And in summer, visitors outnumber the inhabitants many
times over.

All of a sudden, hawsers are loosened and then cast off. The four powerful
Wärtsilä 9L32 engines turn the propellers ever faster. Passengers on deck
wave, people left on the pier honk their car horns.
every iSLand iS one oF a kind. Our first stop is Syros, which is followed
by Paros. After that come Naxos, Ios, Santorini, Iraklia, Schinousa, Koufonisi,
Donousa, Amorgos and Astypalea. Here, shipping lines are essentially bus
routes and halts are frequent. We step off in Paros, windsurfing paradise and a
hub for the islands’ ferries. From here you can take other boats to explore the
Cyclades.
But instead of beach-hopping, we visit the power plant, an unremarkable
concrete building located on the island’s most distant corner. While tourists
are unlikely to ever see it, they could miss it - without the power it generates
there would be no ice in their drinks, no hot water in the shower and no air
conditioning.
Every island has its own power plant, many of them powered by Wärtsilä.
And as every island is unique, they all have their peculiarities when it comes
to producing electricity.
“There are two types of islands in Greece,” says nikolas g. vythoulkas,
Business Development Manager, Wärtsilä in Greece. “The first group consists
of Rhodes and Crete, the large islands which have fairly big populations.
Energy demand there is pretty constant throughout the year but of course it
peaks in the summer.”
“The Cyclades, islands such as Paros and Santorini, are in the second
group,” Vythoulkas continues. “In the winter, energy consumption is no more
than 4-5 MW, but demand is ten times higher in July and August. If the
power plants were to be operated by private companies, hardly anyone would
be interested. Investing for a peak period that lasts just a couple of months
is not good business. You would never earn your money back. That’s why
p
ferries are a vital lifeline for
the 120, 000 inhabitants of
the greek islands. [far left]
reportage
chapels and roadside shrines
offer everyone - both residents
and visitors - a chance to
rest and reflect. [above]
timetables are tight, with
loading and unloading
completed in minutes. [above]
2.08 Twentyfour7. 23

24 Twentyfour7. 2.08

electricity is distributed by the state-owned Public Power Company
(PPC).”
Inside the power plant, this dilemma is easy to understand. Of the
plant’s ten engines, only a few are currently running, the others sit
idle. Some are undergoing thorough maintenance before the holiday
season starts. About 15 MW of electricity is being produced.
The guide for our tour is Michael Chaniotis, Manager of
Operations. As we walk around, the plant’s history can easily be
read from the equipment: a Sulzer-Fincantieri, two GMT Fiats, a
MAN B&W 2-stroke, a few Cegielski gas turbines and two Wärtsilä
12V46 engines. It’s a fascinating orchestra, with the 2-stroke engine
in particular making it a fairly unusual combination, even in an
island location.
All the engines have been installed one after another as the demand
for energy has increased. And it’s still growing. Peaks in Paros
already rise well above the 60 MW level.
LoSing one’S SenSeS. After checking into a cosy hotel overlooking
the port, we take a stroll through the maze of tiny alleys in the old
town. Here, it’s easy to lose not only your sense of direction but also
your sense of time. An old man is selling vegetables from a basket
precariously balanced on the back of his donkey. Time has stopped.
We’re carefully inspected by a dog that’s too lazy to wag its tail.
In less than a couple of months all this will change. In August,
hardly a room will be vacant. But for the time being, we enjoy
the calm and silence of the narrow side streets. The main alleys
are dotted with tourist shops, small cafes (no Starbucks here) and
restaurants (no McDonald’s either). No-one appears to be in a
hurry – the charm of these Greek villages is hard to match and the
hospitality is among the best there is.
Life could be a lot worse. It’s easy to forget how isolated these
islands really are. In a way, the power plants are the guardians of life.
“The islands are heavily dependent on tourism, so power supplies
have to be very stable: blackouts hurt the economy – and not only
in the islands,” says yiannis Christopoulos, Service Manager of
Wärtsilä in Greece. “Nobody wants to be on vacation without
electricity if you’ve paid for it. Electricity is crucial to the economy.
The first thing that people investing in the tourist industry check
p
located as they are halfway between
italy and turkey, food in the greek
islands happily blends influences
from east and west. [far left]
Generating capacity supplied
by Wärtsilä in the Greek
islands now totals 520 MW.
Responsibilities include
service and spare parts.
reportage
2.08 Twentyfour7. 25

spacious terraces often feature
gardens or even swimming
pools, and offer stunning views.
26 Twentyfour7. 2.08
The hunger for electricity grow
– in some islands by
p

s constantly
as much as 5–10% each year.
what comes around
goes around
reportage
A GROUP OF ABOUT 220 ISLANdS,
the Cyclades is home to an estimated
120,000 people. While Naxos is the
biggest island, both Mykonos and
Santorini are far better known. Each
island has its own unique character and
charm. Some are known for their wild
night life, others for peace and quiet.
ThE NAME FOR the islands comes
from kyklos, a Greek word that means a
cycle. It’s a logical choice, as the islands
form a circle around Delos – the holy
island which is one of the country’s most
important mythological and historical
sites. Among other legends, it’s the
birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.
IF yOU wANT TO VISIT the Cyclades,
the best way is to board a ship in Piraeus.
Even in the off-season, there are many
routes to choose from. During the
summer months, the possibilities are
almost overwhelming.
BACkPACkERS ARE already roaming
the islands in the spring – the climate
is only moderate but prices are low.
Most tourists arrive at the end of July
and occupy the islands until the end of
August. Prices, quite naturally, go up.
2.08 Twentyfour7. 27

is the power reserves. If capacity exists, they invest. If not, they go
somewhere else.”
“Blackouts are also bad for people’s psyche,” he continues. “They
are living in an isolated location, but don’t need to be reminded
about it. That’s why our people are on standby – customers have to
be able to reach us at any time of the day or night. Wärtsilä is the
only company offering 24/7 service in the islands.”
FroM juST a Few kiLowaTTS To 43 Mw. From Paros we
board another Blue Star ferry and cruise via Naxos and Ios, the
legendary party island, to Santorini. The stops in each port are
breathtakingly short – the captain’s
skills have to be admired. After speeding
through the water at some 25 knots, it’s
full speed astern to bring the ship to a
rapid halt. Like parking your car with the
handbrake. Timetables are tight. Loading
and unloading takes no more than a few
minutes. Extraordinary.
As we approach Santorini, it’s easy to
understand its attraction. Villages perched
on high cliffs facing vertical drops of a
hundred metres or more. Houses built
high on soaring terraces.
Even if the first steps towards
civilization were taken in Greece, modern
civilization took its time to reach the
Cyclades. The islands used to be quite
poor. Even electricity took its time.
“In 1930, the towns of Messaria and
Thira had electricity for just two hours
each night – at 110 volts,” says asteris
F. Sardelis, Manager of the Thira Power
Plant. “Things only changed in 1956
when the army stationed troops here. As
they needed electricity, they built a new
plant that produced power at 308 volts.
PPC took over in September 1960, but a
new power plant wasn’t completed before 1968.”
That was the year when electricity cables started to be drawn
into villages and demand for power really started growing. A
native of Santorini, george nomikos, Operations and Project
Manager of the Thira Power Plant, remembers how street lights
were introduced in 1968 – simply by adding light bulbs to the
electricity distribution poles. Then people started to acquire
electrical appliances.
“Our family had a bakery and the first electrical machine we had
was a new food mixer,” says Nomikos. “I think that was in 1970.
Ingredients had previously been mixed by hand. Then we got water
pumps. Television was considered a luxury, a few restaurants were
among the first with television sets. In most homes, a refrigerator
was the first electrical appliance.”
The island’s hunger for power developed quickly. In 1972 there
were already five engines in operation producing a total of 750 kW.
icons old and new can be found
everywhere, and are still painted
in accordance with traditional
techniques - egg tempera on
wooden panels, gilded with gold leaf.
2 Twentyfour7. 2.08
p

Managing the growth
reportage
The true character of the islands is revealed by Alek
Tomazos, Managing Director of Wärtsilä in Greece,
whose roots are on the islands of Chios, famous for
its shipbuilders.
“We Greeks are very proud of our islands and their
people. The natural environment of the islands is
very special and we work hard to protect it – not
only for the people who live there and for visitors,
but also because of the substantial role that the
islands have played in our civilization.”
“The islanders were always restless spirits and
have contributed much to Greek civilization,” he
continues. “They have been traders and sailors
for almost three millennia. Not only have they
contributed many ideas, theories and philosophies,
they have spread them far and wide by sailing all
over the Mediterranean basin ever since 2000 BC.”
And they still do. “In the 20th century, many
islanders have manned the huge number of ships
that have helped Greek shipowners to create the
world’s largest merchant fleet,” says Tomazos.
Then came tourism. Over the last three decades
the islands have become a major tourist attraction.
“Millions of visitors come here year after year.”
It has to be asked whether there is a tradeoff
between the environment and such massive
tourism. “Of course there is,” says Tomazos. “But
we know this. If our natural environment is not
protected, we will lose one of our major competitive
advantages. For that reason, especially in the
last few years, we have been protecting both the
environment and our traditions to the greatest
extent possible. This is, after all, our home.”
Wärtsilä’s energy solutions, power
plants and propulsion systems
powering the ferries all play an
essential role in both survival and
providing a decent standard of
living on the islands during winter.
Wärtsilä is also fully undertaking
its social responsibility as regards
proper interconnection between
the islands and the mainland –
and for generating the electricity
that powers isolated grids when
supplies from the mainland are
very difficult, too expensive or
economically inefficient. And
doing it 24/7 – of course!
2.08 Twentyfour7. 29

the cheapest way to travel by ferry is on deck. and if you’re travelling
by night, there’s really no better place to be than under the stars.
The diversity of
cultures in the islands is
breathtaking. They all
seem to have their own
individual character
– just like their
inhabitants.
30 Twentyfour7. 2.08
the impossibly blue waters
surrounding the greek
islands colour everything on
them, even at night. [right]
Five years later, the new power plant had an output
of 3.2 MW. The first Wärtsilä engines were installed
in 1990 and there are now six of them – all Wärtsilä
12V32 type. Several more will be installed in the near
future.
in The Shadow oF a voLCano. As well as its
dramatic views, Santorini’s fascination comes from its
dramatic history. “This island is unique – there’s not
another one like it in the whole world,” says asteris F.
Sardelis. “It used to be round, but a volcanic eruption
at some time around 1630 BC caused the central part
to collapse into the sea. Some parts are still visible, the
three small islands in the middle mark the location of
the crater.”
The eruption had a catastrophic effect. “There
was a high developed Cretan civilization already on
the island, says Sardelis. “They had a sewer system,
everything. Afterwards, well...”
Prosperity has only just returned. In the time
between, the islands have survived the Romans, the
Byzantine Empire, the Venetians, the Turks and two
world wars. But the challenges are not over. Now the
residents have to cope with tourism.
As Santorini is the outermost of the islands, the tourists also took their
time. Mass contingents didn’t arrive before the airport opened in 1980.
But when modern times arrived they did so with a bang. Ten years
ago, if you had asked the keeper of a coffee shop for coffee ‘to go’, the
most likely answer would have been: “To go where?” Running around
with a cup of coffee in your hand would have been considered more
than foolish. Nowadays, both tourists and locals can be seen jogging to
and from, plastic cup in hand.
And all the other signs of modern civilization are now here: hotels with
wireless Internet, air conditioning keeps your room cool and comfortable
even when the outside temperature climbs above 40°C, soft music from
a CD player and a gleaming turquoise pool invite you for a late-night
dip. It’s no surprise that consumption peaks in August exceed 40 MW.
a whiTe-waLLed, bLue-door paradiSe The sun slides below the
horizon, painting land and sea in magical tones. The horizon fades like
a mirage... sea merging into sky – everything becomes one, just blue,
blue, blue. The streetlights come
alive one by one. A soft laugh
escapes through an open window.
Silverware clatters. One glass clinks
against another. More laughter.
Everything is so easy, so relaxed.
It’s the perfect illusion of not being
in a hurry, but also an illusion
connected with life in the past.
There’s just one catch... candlelit
dinners are only romantic when
they have been planned.

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