Filenews 7 June 2024 - by Chrysanthos Manoli
The country faced the risk of a serious electricity deficit and disconnection of thousands of consumers from the electricity network, in conditions of unbearable heat, in the last 48 hours and partly still faces.
The website of the Cyprus Transmission System Operator (TSO) stated yesterday that the maximum conventional generation capacity (from EAC) was 942 megawatts (MW) and the forecast for consumption in the late afternoon and Thursday evening exceeded 920 megawatts, with a high probability that electricity consumption will exceed production.
And indeed, around 7 p.m. yesterday, the electricity consumption by EAC units (as after 1 p.m. the large reduction in photovoltaic production began) had risen to 973 megawatts. What prevented widespread power cuts and inconvenience for thousands of consumers was the rushed operation of a 120-megawatt plant in Vasilikos, which saved the system, officials and consumers from misadventures.
Since Wednesday evening, EAC, the Transmission Operator, CERA and the Ministry of Energy knew that it would be very difficult to cover electricity needs on Thursday, given the unbearable heat wave conditions that prevailed and the skyrocketing electricity consumption, but also the inability of EAC to utilize all its generators, or because some are currently undergoing maintenance (as they expected heatwaves in July and not early June). or because they are decommissioned due to breakdowns.
In dramatic circumstances, as it seemed that power cuts were inevitable in some areas, due to lack of production adequacy but also to protect the system from much more serious problems, an alarm was declared and intense efforts were made to put unit 3 in Vasilikos into operation. After many efforts by EAC technicians and after many tests were needed to synchronize the unit, early in the afternoon yesterday it was possible to connect the unit to the grid and increase the production capacity by 120 megawatts.
Particularly difficult is the situation at Dhekelia station, where almost all Internal Combustion Units are out of operation due to failures. Of the six MEK plants (17.5 megawatts each) only one is operational. Of the six (obsolete) steam boilers (60 megawatts each) are working, four are working. However, even the lack of production from Dhekelia ensures the necessary stability of the system and prevents very difficult situations.
The situation is still difficult and hopes for stabilization are pinned on the expected drop in temperature in the coming days. In the event of an additional fault in a generator today, there will be a need for power cuts.
At around 12:45 p.m. yesterday, photovoltaic power generation had risen to 485 megawatts. However, despite the sunshine until late afternoon, by 6.30 p.m. the energy from photovoltaics had fallen to 100 megawatts, while at the same time the total power consumption was 1,033 megawatts. Yesterday's adventure confirms the serious inability of the system to operate smoothly – and cost-effectively – in conditions of large production of green electricity, without storage systems.
