“Damage is inevitable” to Cyprus’ electricity grid with the related power cuts a foreseeable consequence during times of heightened consumption, transmission system operator (TSO) spokeswoman Chara Kousiappa said on Friday.
Speaking to CyBC radio, she said the “availability” of generators is “critical to the smooth operation of the network”, and that an annual maintenance plan has been put in place to ensure that the electricity authority (EAC)’s facilities are in working order.
In addition, she said, the EAC on occasion is “forced to carry out maintenance due to unforeseen circumstances.
“Sometimes, the operating margin is limited because availability is limited in terms of conventional generators, and we have to save on our electricity consumption,” she said.
An all-time record energy demand was set in Cyprus on July 22, with 1,294 megawatts of demand. This figure beat the previous record of 1,243 megawatts set on July 24 last year.
With consumption nearing Cyprus’ maximum capacity during the hot summer months, she said wind power proved “particularly useful” in ensuring that enough electricity was generated to keep Cyprus’ lights on.
On Wednesday, the island’s wind turbines provided a total of 35 megawatts of power, and Kousiappa said she expected between 20 and 25 megawatts to be provided through Friday evening.
“This contribution is significant, particularly during the night, when [other] renewable energy sources are limited and reliance on conventional means of power generation is greater,” she said.
In terms of overall generation, she said Cyprus’ peak energy demand on Thursday reached 898 megawatts during the day and 859 megawatts during the night. This figure represents a drop in demand compared to usual summer levels, though this, she said, was expected.
“This drop in demand has been attributed to the fact Thursday was a public holiday and there were fewer people in towns and cities. August 15 is always a day more comparable to Sunday in terms of data,” she said.
She also said parts of the Cyprus grid had suffered damage over the past few days and this had led to power cuts in various areas.
“When there is a problem like that, there is a programme of alternating cuts. When this happens, the necessary time for power to be cut is determined. Sometimes it is 15 or 20 minutes, sometimes it is half an hour or 40 minutes per area, so that one area is not disturbed for a long time,” she said.
However, this heightened demand and damage to the system has had a knock-on effect in the north, where the electricity authority Kib-Tek has historically bought electricity from the EAC when demand in the north outstripped local supply.
Kousiappa explained that electricity is only sold to the north when the Republic has the requisite amount of power to spare.
“In ‘part B’ of the system, which is not controlled by the Republic of Cyprus, electricity is only given as and when there is availability. That is, if we are not energy sufficient, if there is a problem over here, no electricity is sent to ‘part B’,” she said.
The north had been importing a total of 30 megawatts of electricity from the Republic on Saturday, with its two power stations, Teknecik near Kyrenia and Kalecik near the village of Galatia, both operating at half capacity.
In August last year, Kib-Tek paid the EAC €14 million for electricity to be sent to the north from the Republic.
(cyprus mail)
