Cyprus imposes rolling power cuts amid heatwave demand shortfall

Cyprus’s Electricity Transmission Operator carried out rolling power cuts to households and businesses lasting 20 to 30 minutes last night, until around 8:30pm, after electricity demand went unmet during a heatwave and an orange warning from the Department of Meteorology. The shortfall between production and consumption stood at around 25 megawatts early in the evening. Wind power contributed only around 20 megawatts at around 8pm, offering little help as demand peaked at dusk. The risk of further cuts remains high today, the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) said. The authority is working to repair faults at units in Vasilikos and Dhekelia, and further rolling cuts tonight are considered almost certain if those repairs are unsuccessful. Reports yesterday indicated two units would be brought back into service and that there would be no problem tonight, though this remains to be confirmed during the day. There is a good chance at least one or two units could return to production, though further faults cannot be ruled out, as some units, particularly at Dhekelia , are around 50 years old and in poor condition. Strong solar output during daylight hours meets demand adequately during peak hours until around 6pm. Once solar output declines and with no electricity storage available, the system becomes dependent on EAC’s own generating units. EAC paid around €160 million for a sixth combined-cycle unit at Vasilikos but cannot use it because natural gas cannot currently be imported. Privately-owned PEC is also unable to operate its units, with a capacity of 200 to 260 megawatts, as they are not fully licensed and no gas is available. Technocrats, EAC union officials and other energy sector figures have said the insufficient supply has been known for at least the past two to three years. With temperatures forecast to remain around 40 degrees in the coming days, a stable electricity supply for the country is not guaranteed. Read more: Islandwide power cuts hit Cyprus: Full list of affected areas by group