Season 1 | Ep17 Nikolaos Karagiovanidis on Moving from EPC to Development and Building Local Teams Abroad

In this episode of the REM Podcast, Tom speaks with Nikolaos Karagiovanidis, Director of Project Development at Chint Green Energy, about what it really takes to build successful solar and battery projects across multiple European markets.Nikolaos shares lessons from a career that’s taken him from EPC work in Greece and Turkey to leading development across the Balkans, Baltics, and Nordics , including why local team structure, grid access, and cultural fit matter so much in this industry.They discuss:The shift from EPC to full project development and what that changed for himWhy Chint’s vertical integration helps them move faster and cheaper than competitorsHow lean teams can outperform large teams if you hire the right peopleWhy grid congestion is now the biggest bottleneck in EuropeHow collocated BESS (battery + solar) is the best solution to the grid bottleneckIf you’re operating across multiple markets, managing development teams, or navigating grid constraints, this episode is packed with sharp insights from someone building at scale.Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Nikolaos: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikolaoskaragiovanidis-executive/