Electricity storage batteries with a capacity of 120 megawatts are expected to arrive in Cyprus in January 2027, as the relevant contracts have already been signed with the responsible company and the Transmission System Operator, Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry Michalis Damianos announced today in Paphos.
He said the installations would be completed before the summer of 2027, adding a total of 125 megawatts of stored energy to the country's energy mix. This, he said, would allow the use of energy from Renewable Energy Sources that is currently being lost, meaning production cutbacks would not be needed during the summer of 2027.
Damianos explained that Cyprus currently has just over 1,000 megawatts of conventional generation capacity, which is sufficient during daytime hours. However, in the early hours of the night, particularly during the summer months, when high temperatures increase air conditioning use and tourist numbers boost demand, the available conventional generation is not always sufficient to meet needs.
He noted that storing energy produced from renewables is the solution to this problem and is expected to substantially improve the situation from next summer onward. He added that connection terms have already been granted for a further 150 megawatts of storage systems for private operators, which are also expected to join the energy mix within 2027. At the same time, the Electricity Authority of Cyprus is proceeding with its own storage projects, with a combined capacity of 180 megawatts, part of which, totalling 80 and 100 megawatts, will be ready before next summer.
A small reduction in electricity prices
According to the minister, by the end of 2027 several hundred megawatts of storage capacity will have been added to the country's energy system, which, in theory and based on electricity market rules, could lead to a small reduction in electricity prices while significantly strengthening the adequacy of the electricity system. Asked how the situation is being managed until the storage projects become fully operational in 2027, Damianos said that, according to the Transmission System Operator, the situation remains manageable. Referring to the problems that arose last week, he explained these were due to a fault in one of the Electricity Authority's generators. He stressed that both the Electricity Authority and the Transmission System Operator are making an extraordinary effort to ensure the adequacy of the electricity system with the means currently available to the country.
He said the peak hours are those that follow sunset, when solar production stops and increased pressure builds on the system for two to three hours during the night. He added that, barring unforeseen faults, the situation is considered manageable.
The minister underlined that there is both long-term planning for the country's energy adequacy and a specific plan for meeting next summer's needs, as well as for managing the current summer period.
Damianos' remarks came after the annual memorial service for the commandos who fell across all of Cyprus' battlefields, and for the commander of the landing ship Lesvos, Rear Admiral Eleftherios Chandrinos, held today at the Church of Ayios Kendeas in Paphos.
