PISSOURI RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

THE ELECTRICITY Authority of Cyprus (EAC) should be able to meet power demands within the next few weeks pending a private sector agreement for the supply, installation, operation and maintenance of temporary generators, chairman, Harris Thrassou said yesterday.

About half of the island’s supply was wiped out on Monday, July 11 after the naval base blast in Mari resulting in erratic power cuts and urgent appeals by the EAC to turn off air conditioning units so they could cope with demand.

Two days later, the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority authorised the EAC to request generators tenders’ proposals with the deadline expiring yesterday at noon.

“The EAC aims to meet the current energy deficit and have a surplus to accommodate possible breakdown of the aging equipment resurrected to meet energy needs,” Thrassou said.

Depending on the offers, suppliers might let out generators to the EAC directly or else operate them themselves, feeding the energy onto the existing grid, Thrassou said.

The minimum contract period will be six months, with renewal options for three month periods each time.

“With the EAC burning the candle at both ends, we should evaluate the proposals, come up with a short list and start negotiations in a few days,” Thrassou said.

“But it will take several weeks to normalise the situation,” he said, adding that power cuts would be gradually phased out.

Current energy output is just under 700 MegaWatts. The EAC is expecting about 70MW from Greece by Saturday.

Supply from the north started at 20MW on Sunday, was about 35MW yesterday and should reach 80MW, Thrassou said.

The transmission lines enabling the supply are aging and cannot handle over 80MW, Thrassou said, adding that energy supply would be gradual to avoid damaging the aging system.

With the additional collective 150MW provided from the north, and from Greece, energy supply should be about 850MW.

During the week before the tragedy, consumption peaked at 863MW on July 8.

Available power was about 1400MW allowing for a comfortable surplus of over 500MW.

But energy consumption goes up in the summer along with soaring temperatures: during the heat wave last year, consumption in August went up to more than 1000MW.

In addition to companies based in the European Union, Russian and Chinese companies have also submitted their proposals… hundreds have displayed an interest, Thrassou said.

Electricity prices will remain at current levels as the EAC, a semi-governmental organisation cannot increase or lower prices on its own initiative.

“Our goal now is to meet energy requirements,” Thrassou said adding that they would be meeting at some point with the regulatory authority in order to discuss new, necessarily higher prices – “generators cost more to run than power stations”, Thrassou said.

By Poly Pantelides Cyprus Mail 19th July 2011