The Greek National Opera (GNO) presents its new online festival, Waves of Light, in collaboration with the Public Power Corporation (PPC), under the artistic direction of Giorgos Koumendakis. Five of PPC's steam-electric power plants—in Aliveri, Ptolemaida, Megalopolis, Ladonas, and Lavrion—come alive through music and visuals. As part of the Waves of Light online festival, five artistic teams explore the old PPC factories, creating five site-specific video performances for GNO's digital platform, GNO TV. These performances draw inspiration from the spaces, history, and people who worked there, blending music and storytelling uniquely suited to each location.

The first video, titled L'éclairage revient (The Light Returns), was filmed at the Steam-Electric Power Plant of Aliveri. It will be available for free on GNO TV starting January 15, 2025. Creators Pantelis and Michalis Kalogerakis, in collaboration with director Panagiotis Andrianos, drew inspiration from notes and journals found at the plant. They crafted a soundscape where Arthur Rimbaud's poetry interacts with the reflections of those who once worked at Aliveri. Michalis Kalogerakis’ music is inspired by the factory's sounds, combining the lyre, electricity, and silence. It connects the visuals, thoughts, and words into a cohesive artistic expression.

                                                            The First PPC Factory: Steam-Electric Power Plant of Aliveri

The Public Power Corporation (PPC) was established on August 7, 1950, under Law 1468. PPC's first project in Aliveri began in February 1951, aiming to develop two lignite mines with a daily output of 3,000 tons of lignite. The creation of these mines paved the way for modern exploitation of other lignite deposits across Greece.

The A Energy Program, marking the initial phase of electrification, was drawn up in March 1951 and implemented under Ebasco’s supervision, with funding from the state budget, the Marshall Plan, and Italian war reparations. This program included four hydroelectric plants (Agras, Ladonas, Louros, Acheloos) and one thermal plant (Aliveri). Simultaneously, the first transmission lines and distribution networks were constructed.

PPC’s first power generation station, the Steam-Electric Power Plant of Aliveri, was rapidly built in Karavos, the port of Aliveri, and began operation on July 2, 1953, with a capacity of 80,000 KW. It used lignite from Aliveri’s mines, transported by carts to a cleaning complex before fueling the boilers (the cleaning complex has since been demolished). Two modern turbine generators enabled an annual energy output of 600,000,000 KWH. Between 1953 and 1954, the station consumed over 350,000 tons of lignite.

During this period, PPC established its first residential areas for its staff—a policy systematically applied to other regional projects.

The Aliveri plant played a critical role in supporting the energy needs of Athens and early networks until the other hydroelectric plants of the A Energy Program were completed.