Filenews 12 June 2025 - by Chrysanthos Manoli
The Transmission Operator, EAC, CERA and the Ministry of Energy state whenever they are asked about possible problems in electricity adequacy this summer that demand will be covered marginally. The month that scares me the most is July. However, it seems from the data of the last few days that June is also dangerous for causing problems and disconnecting households from the network. Although we are still only on its 12th day.
Yesterday, the maximum electricity demand was 760 megawatts at 8.30 p.m., of which 741 was covered by EAC and the rest by dispersed production from renewable sources.
However, according to the website of the Cyprus Transmission System Operator (TSO), the maximum available power from the EAC in the afternoon and evening yesterday was only 849 megawatts. Earlier yesterday, the maximum available power from the Electricity Authority's units was 832 megawatts.
At 4.15 p.m. yesterday, the highest electricity consumption was recorded, 890 megawatts, of which 452 megawatts were mainly covered by photovoltaics.
The limited production capacity of the EAC units (only 849 megawatts) is due to maintenance carried out mainly on obsolete and aging ones, in order to get the difficult schedule of July and August without serious damage.
However, even if all EAC units are offered to the Distribution Operator with their maximum production capacity (around 1250 megawatts), the risk of problems in meeting demand in the afternoons and early evenings is real and serious. And it will lead to rotational disconnections of thousands of households, if there are also failures in EAC generators.
Even yesterday's conditions, in which there was a production surplus of about 20 megawatts between peak demand and maximum available conventional production at 8.30 p.m., the technocrats we spoke to argue that under the electricity rules, the Transmission Operator should have sounded the alarm and called on consumers to make urgent savings.
Operating Margin Policy
According to these technocrats, the TSO's Operating Margin Policy stipulates that in order to ensure satisfactory operational adequacy, the electricity system should operate with at least 40 MW of rotating reserve from synchronised generation units (i.e. 40 megawatts of reserve from operating units) and 130 MW of replacement reserve (e.g. rapid start generation units that will cover the possible loss of the largest conventional unit).
The sum of 40 MW of revolving reserve and 130 MW of replacement reserve, i.e. 170 MW, constitute the minimum operating margin allowed to ensure marginal operational adequacy. In the event that the minimum operating margin is not ensured (as for example yesterday and very likely today and in the following days), then there is a shortage of electricity and an alarm should be declared and immediate measures should be taken to restore the marginal operational adequacy.
Decisions for private generators
The experience of the last few days proves that the marginal coverage of demand this summer will only occur under the most favourable conditions. Under less positive data, power cuts seem almost certain.
CERA has accepted this risk and in cooperation with EAC has been attempting in recent days to ensure the legal utilization - free of charge - of small private generators, one or one and a half megawatts each, in factories, department stores, hotels and hospitals, in order to create a cold reserve reserve of around 50 to 60 megawatts, for times of great need.
As "F" wrote on Sunday, the risk was raised by legal advisors that the issue of incompatible state aid will arise, by entrepreneurs who will not benefit from the utilization of their generators, in exchange for financial compensation from the state.
The issue is being handled by competent authorities and decisions are expected in the coming days.
