The Electricity Authority of Cyprus, in addition to the supply of electricity, is also active in desalination, with one unit located at the Vasilikos Power Station and which was put into operation in 2013, with revenues for the organization amounting to tens of millions of euros.
More specifically, according to the analysis of data from the annual reports of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus, revenues exceed €169 million from 2013 to 2024, with a significant increase in recent years, since all desalination plants have been fully operational, contrary to what was the case in previous years.
So far, 2024 is recorded as the year with the most revenue for the EAC with more than €25 million (the Organization's annual report for 2025 has not yet been published). If the revenues of 2025 are also estimated, then the amount reaches close to €200 million.
The lowest revenues were recorded in 2013, when the unit first operated, which exceeded €2.7 million.
In particular:
2024: €25.7 million
2023: €20.6 million
2022: €19.9 million
2021: €13.5 million
2020: €8.5 million
2019: €13.7 million
2018: €15.5 million
2017: €13.6 million
2016: €12.7 million
2015: €9.2 million
2014: €14.5 million
2013: €2.8 million
It should be noted that the desalination plant in Vasilikos has a capacity of 60,000 cubic meters of water per day. Its cost exceeded €45.6 million, while at the same time its operation was delayed, after the explosion at the Mari Naval Base in July 2011 that caused significant damage to the unit's facilities. Its trial operation instead of 2012 finally started in the summer of 2013, which is why the revenues of 2013 are relatively low.
The EAC has been asking since 2018 to carry out new desalination
The EAC trade unions have recently reiterated their request for further activity of the Organization in the field of desalination. These voices have intensified particularly recently, since both the EAC and its trade unions have not hidden their annoyance at the right given to CYTA to operate in the energy sector.
The president of the EPOPAI-OHO-SEK union of the EAC, Kyriakos Tafounas, said in his statements in recent days that since 2018 there was a proposal from the EAC for the construction of a large desalination plant in the Monastery of 60,000 tons and an expansion by 40,000 tons of the existing unit of 60,000 tons located in Vasiliko.
Something that is also found in the EAC's annual report of 2018 and in the message of the then President of the Authority, Andreas Marangos. Specifically, as Mr. Maragos wrote in the preface to the annual report: "In addition to the production, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity, the EAC has a high level of know-how in the field of desalination. After all, in all Power Plants there have been similar units for cooling purposes since 1953. It is noted that the EAC has been operating since 2014 the largest Desalination Unit at the Vasilikos Plant, with a production of 60,000 cubic meters of water per day. The Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources invited the Department of Water to study with the EAC the possibility of increasing water production at the existing desalination plant. At the same time, the creation of a new desalination plant in Vasilikos for water supply and the construction of new desalination units in Moni and Dhekelia for irrigation are the subject of a study."
With private prices
However, as it has already been published, the decision was recently taken for the EAC to proceed with the increase of the capacity of the Vasilikos unit by 20,000 cubic meters per day, reaching 80,000 cubic meters, from the 60,000 it produces today.
However, it is important to say that the Electricity Authority of Cyprus sells desalinated water to the state at private prices, i.e. through a contract with predetermined prices that correspond to or are close to the other contracts that exist with other desalination plants. This desalinated water is not given for free, nor at a very low price compared to other desalination plants that maintain contracts with the state.
