Newsroom
A summer of high electricity demand is renewing attention on Cyprus' ability to maintain a stable power supply, despite temperatures remaining within seasonal averages during the opening weeks of the season.
While much of Europe is experiencing intense heatwaves, concerns in Cyprus are focused on whether the island's electricity system can cope if extreme weather arrives later in the summer.
Speaking on SPOR FM 95.0's Diaspora Eidiseon programme, energy expert Charalambos Ellinas said the country's electricity supply remains finely balanced. He warned that the system has little room for unexpected problems and that a significant technical fault could result in electricity shortages.
Ellinas said long-standing delays in key energy projects have left Cyprus vulnerable. Although facilities capable of operating on natural gas have already been built, the transition to the fuel has yet to take place. He also pointed to the failure to replace ageing generating units at the Dhekelia power station and said renewable energy continues to face limitations because sufficient energy storage infrastructure has not been developed.
"The climate crisis is here. Temperatures are rising, so electricity demand is increasing both in summer and in winter," Ellinas said, adding that more action should have been taken to address the situation.
He also argued that interference within the energy sector has slowed the implementation of major infrastructure projects. Referring to renewable energy producers, he claimed that a cartel is benefiting from substantial profits.
On the question of whether small modular nuclear reactors could eventually play a role in Cyprus' energy mix, Ellinas said the technology may become a realistic option, but only over the long term.
