Apostolos Tomaras
The Agriculture Ministry is racing against time to balance water supply during the peak demand of the summer months. With a tight timeline to bring mobile desalination units from the United Arab Emirates into operation, and added uncertainty from external factors, concerns are growing about whether the ministry will meet its goals.
At the same time, clarity is emerging about where the units will be deployed. Following a recent meeting, officials confirmed that none of the mobile units will be installed in Paphos. Instead, the region’s summer water needs will be covered by other sources until the Acheleia desalination plant is reactivated, which, according to official estimates, is expected to resume production in August.
Local reaction to the decision to exclude Paphos from the initial rollout has so far been measured. Still, questions remain about whether the region’s water needs will be adequately covered during the critical summer period.
Arrival and operation
According to the government’s central plan, the mobile desalination units are expected to arrive in Cyprus by the end of May and be operational by June. Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou outlined the timeline during her remarks at the Kathimerini Green Agenda conference, confirming that preparations are on track.
Despite the risk of potential delays, Panayiotou expressed confidence that the units will be ready. “We know they will be operational because those who provided them have visited, and we have confirmed that both the design and infrastructure are appropriate,” she said.
Deployment
According to officials, the mobile units will be installed in Moni. During the latest coordination meeting, it was confirmed that no units would be allocated to Paphos. The aim is instead to bring the Acheleia desalination plant back online by August.
In response to local concerns, there was reportedly a commitment to transfer and operate two desalination units in Paphos from Greece. However, it is unclear whether these units will be able to start producing water by June or July, as time remains tight.
Water pricing
Also speaking at the Green Agenda conference, Panayiotou confirmed an earlier Kathimerini report that the Water Development Department is conducting a study on water pricing. While she stressed that current prices will remain unchanged in the near term, the existence of the study signals that price increases may become necessary under conditions of prolonged water scarcity.
