Two new generators to be installed at Dhekelia power station

A tender process with the aim of installing two new generators at the Dhekelia power station has begun, Energy Minister George Papanastasiou said on Friday.

Speaking after a meeting with executives from Cyprus’ transmission system operator (TSO), he said the aim of the new generators’ purchase is to limit the costs borne by the government in acquiring European Union emission rights, as well as to limit the amount paid for diesel and fuel oil to power the island’s grid.

He added that the purchase of new generators is “one of the main axes of the actions implemented to reduce the cost of electricity”.

“The EAC is already going through the tendering process and we at the ministry have strengthened this process, giving the message that the replacement of the machines will proceed immediately,” he said.

Delving into specifics, he said the plan is to purchase two “flexible” 40-megawatt generators.

Buying two generators, he said, will allow for the generators’ output to be “more easily controlled”, as they will take less time to start up and they will not need to constantly remain in operation for this reason.

Asked about the potential timeframe for the generators’ installation, he said that if the tenders for their purchase are awarded “in the coming days”, they could be installed within the next year.

Away from Dhekelia, he said another factor which will help drive down people’s energy bills is the growth of renewable energy as a proportion of Cyprus’ electricity production.

TSO assistant operations director Harry Zavallis concurred, pointing out that the total installed energy production capacity from solar panels has increased by 21 per cent in the last year, reaching 967.4 megawatts.

Meanwhile, Papanastasiou also called for Cyprus to save energy, even if it is produced from renewable sources.

“While we have production at home, we should also save energy. The cheapest energy is the energy that is saved, not the energy we get either from the grid of from solar panels,” he said.

He added that the government is also planning to increase the country’s energy storage capacity, with the hope of avoiding situations like those experienced in recent weeks and months when solar farms have been “cut off” as more electricity is being produced than is required.

He said the EAC is going to install 40 megawatts worth of storage capacity and has requested the ability to install another 40, while adding that private individuals and companies should attempt to install their own energy storage facilities.

“The aim is to provide other assistance … but at the same time, we also expect private individuals to proceed with initiatives to install storage. Storage must be increased within the network, so we can extend the amount of time when energy is coming from renewable sources,” he said.

Asked whether there has been interest from the private sector over the installation of storage facilities, he said the TSO has already received more than 20 applications.

“There seems to be a desire to install storage units near solar farms, in strategic locations, so that we can have as much storage as possible,” he said.

The announcement of new generators at the Dhekelia power station comes after local residents had staged a protest there on Sunday, demanding it be upgraded with “less polluting machinery” to be “less harmful” to both the environment and human health.

Mukhtar of nearby Ormidia, Antonis Photi declared that the continued operation of the power station in its current form is “unacceptable”, describing its current machinery as “ancient”.

“It pollutes the oxygen we breathe and our environment, resulting in health problems for the people of the wider area,” he said.

The European Commission had initially demanded that Cyprus close the power station, given that it does not meet the EU’s emissions targets, but Cypriot government promises to modernise it to mitigate those emissions saw the deadline extended twice.