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In a bizarre twist for sunny Cyprus, fossil fuel power plants pumped out more electricity than renewables on Monday, even under ideal conditions for solar energy.
Despite clear skies and summer sun, conventional power generation remained unusually high throughout the day, forcing authorities to slash clean energy production from photovoltaic systems by as much as 70% at peak hours. The result? Roughly 700 megawatt-hours of clean energy were wasted, enough to power up to 45,000 homes for a day.
With carbon emission allowances priced at approximately €70 per ton, that translates to more than €31,800 in added environmental costs for July 1 alone.
Energy experts say this curtailment was both avoidable and costly.
What happened?
The Cyprus Transmission System Operator (CTSO) confirmed that a technical issue at the Vasilikos power station played a major role. A combined-cycle unit operated by the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) couldn’t be shut down as expected, forcing the grid to rely more heavily on fossil fuels, and less on renewables.
To avoid energy shortages later in the day, when solar production typically drops, the grid operator opted to keep conventional plants running above 500 megawatts all day, far more than anticipated. In turn, they ordered sweeping cuts to solar power from controlled photovoltaic parks.
Clean energy wasted
Data released Tuesday paints a stark picture: actual solar output peaked at just 474 megawatts, far below what it should have been. Controlled PV systems were forced to slash output drastically, with some parks reporting curtailments over 70%.
According to estimates, this resulted in about 700 MWh of lost clean electricity, energy that had to be replaced with fossil fuels.
A heavy cost to the environment, and the wallet
The switch from solar to fossil power came at an environmental and financial price. Experts say the unnecessary use of fossil fuels released around 455 tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere in just one day.
With carbon emission allowances priced at approximately €70 per ton, that translates to more than €31,800 in added environmental costs for July 1 alone.
Energy analysts say the incident highlights a key weakness in Cyprus’ energy strategy: the lack of flexibility and backup systems that can accommodate large-scale renewable integration without sacrificing reliability.
