Filenews 21 January 2023 - by Chrysanthos Manoli
Yesterday's long meeting of three ministers (Energy, Finance and Labour), many officials, the president and members of the EAC board of directors and leaders of the four (out of five) guilds of the organization went better than expected, given the rather tense climate that had preceded it.
For all the main issues raised by the guilds, it was decided yesterday, by common consent, specific actions that will take place in the coming days, in order to provide solutions or clarifications on energy policy issues or issues related to the working environment at EAC. The impression given by statements by a representative of the guilds leads to the conclusion that there is satisfaction on their part with yesterday's development.
From the statements made by the Minister of Energy Natasa Pilides and the Minister of Labor Kyriakos Kousios, as well as from other information, it appears that the following were decided:
* On the issue of understaffing, the government side clarified that if there are cases where the lack of sufficient staff, particularly in the networks, poses risks to the safety of personnel or equipment or leads to the execution of work in violation of service plans and regulations, the Government is ready to consider the submission of a supplementary budget for the creation of these posts. In the coming days, Mr. Kousios will make contacts with the EAC Board of Directors and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Finance, in order to clarify how many and what these positions are, in order to promote processes for their creation. Initially, the EAC had requested 370 new posts, the Government approved 146 and another 224 are pending.
* On the issue of EAC's penetration in photovoltaics, assurances were again given by Natasa Pilides that the Government favours the substantial participation of the Authority in the green transition. He also said that the two much-discussed conditions set for the implementation of the agreed plan for EAC's activity in RES (500-600 megawatts by 2032) were part of a long-term strategy, linked to the green transition (and EAC's penetration in RES) and not a requirement for the disconnection of conventional units at this stage. Regarding the term regarding the promotion of the expansion of the network by EAC, it was mentioned that this is a commitment through the Cyprus Plan - tomorrow and must be implemented. It was decided that the minister would send a new letter to CERA to withdraw, essentially, the two terms from the original letter.
* On the issue of CERA's prohibition of the purchase of cheap electricity from private photovoltaics, in the context of the transitional competition arrangement, the positions of the Ministry of Energy and EAC seem identical. The board on Tuesday approved a ten-year development plan, which also provides for the purchase of cheap green energy by private individuals. The Ministry is expected to inform CERA of its acceptance of the plan, after a detailed briefing within the next week. What seems to be proposed to CERA is to place a limit on the energy it can buy from private individuals during the transitional arrangement, so as not to affect competition in the supply sector.
* Finally, regarding the disagreement of the guilds (and the administration - management) on part of the bill promoted in Parliament by the Ministry of Transport, in order to involve individuals in the control of electricity installations in premises, it was decided to consult with the competent ministry and the board of EAC and if there is an agreement on some changes, the Parliament should be informed accordingly.
Replacement of units in Dhekelia
Regarding the Dhekelia plant, the Minister of Energy stressed during the meeting that the Government does not want its dismantling, hence the request to the EU to extend the operation of the six obsolete units until 2028. It was mentioned that in the context of the ten-year development plan approved by the Board of EAC on Tuesday, decisions are included for the gradual replacement of steam turbines with smaller, more flexible and economical units, but also for the utilization of part of the space for the installation of photovoltaics. The ten-year plan, after its approval by the ministry in the coming days, will be sent for approval to CERA, along with the consent of the ministry. The plan will also be sent to the Commission, so that it can be taken into account when examining the request for an extension of the operation of polluting steam turbines.
