A new centre for the study and application of geothermal energy named after the late Dutch UN agricultural developer Charles van der Plas (1891-1977) was inaugurated on November 30, in Chryssoupoli, in northern Greece, by Rural Development and Food Minister Athanasios Tsaftaris in the presence of Dutch Ambassador to Greece Jan Versteeg and other officials.

The centre honours a pioneer who helped put in place the foundations of rural development in the greater Nestos River valley, Versteeg said, and spoke of the role of agriculture in improving the economy of a country.

Tsaftaris said van der Plas was beloved in the area of Chryssoupoli, near Kavala, and was the first to speak in Greece of the power of agricultural cooperatives, which he did in 1956.

Charles Van Der Plas was a governor of East Indies (Java) from 1936 to 1942, and worked as a United Nations expert to Greece on community development (1956-1960). He helped farmers become involved in trying new methods and introduced practical ways to help them develop their region in the areas of farming, culture, the arts and technology.

More information: Biographic Dictionnary of the Netherlands: 1880-2000 (in Dutch)

See also Greek News Agenda: Open Tender for Geothermal Potential; Invest In Greece: Geothermal Sector