Filenews 4 November 2022 - by By Chrysanthos Manolis
Grotesque, if not tragic, seems to be the management by the Distribution System Operator (EAC) and the Cyprus Transmission System Operator (TSO) of CERA's regulatory decision in June 2019, which called on them to jointly carry out a "thorough techno-economic study of the redesign of the transmission and distribution system for the period 2021-2030". In its decision, CERA requested the submission of the study by March 31, 2021.
More than three years have already passed since the decision was issued, but the study, as requested and wanted by CERA, is not only not complete, but just a month ago a tender was awarded to a consulting firm to carry out the final study! If all goes well with the timetables, something unusual in Cyprus, the study is estimated to be submitted to CERA by 31/12/2024. That is, three years after the date set by CERA and while in the meantime, the number of RES parks that are licensed, built and connected (several times late) to the network are increasing rapidly, but also the substations that have already been saturated or are approaching their saturation are increasing, thus preventing the addition of new parks. The frequency of rejection by the TSO of electricity from RES is also increasing, mainly due to the lack of storage systems and interconnection with other networks.
The issue is particularly serious for the expansion and upgrading of the electricity grid of Cyprus, given the country's obligations to limit the production of electricity from conventional fuels and for a large penetration of renewable energy sources in the electricity balance, in combination with the necessary installation of energy storage systems (there is also a long delay in this regard, by the Ministry of Energy).
CERA itself, through the 2019 decision, had stressed that the transmission and distribution systems of Cyprus may not be able to support the rapid development of RES in the next decade. He stressed in the same decision that it is absolutely necessary to determine the immediate actions to be taken, so as not to make the specific factor (i.e. weakness of the network) the most inhibiting for the predicted significant development of RES.
EAC's position on the study
About the long delay observed, we asked the spokesperson of EAC, Christina Papadopoulou, who told us that "the study was submitted to CERA by the two Managers (TSOK and DSD-EAC) on 30/06/2021 and was finalized, after discussion and clarifications given to CERA, on 26/10/2021". According to EAC, "in 2021, CERA requested the preparation of an additional study, examining scenarios of very high RES-H penetration, up to 100% on the final energy consumption. The two Administrators", added Mrs. Papadopoulou, "jointly and in accordance with a timetable approved by CERA, prepared, announced, evaluated and awarded on 07/10/2022 a relevant tender for consulting services and the study must be completed and submitted to CERA by 31/12/2024". According to EAC, the study delivered highlights the needs for new Transmission Network Projects to meet the needs of RES penetration, for upgrades of existing Transmission substations and the establishment of new Transmission substations in specific geographical areas, where there is a concentration of applications for RES (PV).
Why CERA considered the initial study insufficient
Very different from EAC, CERA sees the events. As we are informed, CERA considers that the study submitted to it in June 2021 was insufficient, as it did not meet the criteria it had set for the study, through its regulatory decision, nor the criteria that had been discussed in more detail, both before the 2019 decision and after. It appears that the delay for the completion of the study is much longer than that shown by the dates we quoted above, as CERA claims that it had requested the implementation of the study for the redesign of the system long before 2019 and because it did not meet with a response, it was forced to issue a regulatory decision in 2019. We are also informed that before the submission of the study - which was not considered satisfactory by CERA - many meetings took place to avoid delays, as EAC and TSO were citing time-consuming procedures that would have to be carried out in order to hire a consultant who will prepare the study.
