Next Tuesday, the contracts for the installation of the first central electricity storage systems in Cyprus will be signed by the Cyprus Transmission System Operator (TSOC), with a total capacity of 120 MW, paving the way for limiting cuts in photovoltaic production and greater utilization of energy from renewable sources.
As stated by the Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Michalis Damianos, the signing of the contracts "marks a decisive step" in reducing cuts in energy production from photovoltaics and enhancing the penetration of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in the electricity system of Cyprus
According to the Minister, the storage batteries are expected to be delivered in January 2027 and installed within the next two to three months, so that they can be in operation by the summer of the same year.
"In the summer of 2027 we will have at least 120 MW of storage batteries from the TSOC. This means that energy from photovoltaics that is currently lost because it cannot be stored, will now be able to be used," said Mr. Damianos.
As he explained, the storage capacity will mainly contribute to the reduction of cuts affecting residential electricity producers from photovoltaic systems, who currently see part of the energy produced being rejected due to grid restrictions.
At the same time, Mr. Damianos noted that the Electricity Authority of Cyprus is proceeding with its own investments in storage systems, while the TSOC has already issued connection terms for the installation of batteries by private investors, for which relevant applications have already been submitted.
"We believe that from 2027 there will be significant storage capacity in the system, which is currently absent," he said.
The facilities of the TSOC are part of a project with a total cost of €50 million, for which the international tender has already been awarded, as the Director of the TSOC, Stavros Stavrinos, had recently stated to KYPE.
Significant interest from EAC and private individuals
In addition to the projects promoted by the TSOC, significant interest is also recorded by the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) and private individuals in the development of battery energy storage systems.
According to the latest list of association applications published by the TSOC dated 15 June 2026, the EAC has submitted two applications. The first concerns an 80 MW system in the area of Dhekelia, with a receipt date of September 30, 2024. This project is at the stage where the applicant submits the necessary documents and studies for the issuance of an offer and connection terms. The second project concerns a 100 MW system in the Moni area, with a receipt date of December 16, 2025, and is in the initial stage of the connectivity study. In total, EAC claims 180 MW of storage capacity through these two projects.
At the same time, the most advanced applications from private investors concern projects with a total capacity of 151 MW. These include the 32 MW Workers project, which is also in the process of submitting documents and studies for the issuance of a connection offer, as well as the 59 MW Pseudo project.
In addition, five projects in Arediou, Platanisteia, Orounta, Alhambra and Palaiometochos, with a total capacity of 60 MW, have progressed even further, as the TSOC has already issued an offer and terms of connection, which brings them one step ahead of the conclusion of the relevant connection agreements and their implementation.
In total, 36 applications for energy storage systems with a total requested capacity of approximately 925 MW are registered in the TSOC register, however when and whether their implementation will proceed depends on the private investors who submitted the applications.
Where are the cuts in energy from renewables?
According to data from the Distribution System Operator for daily reports of production cuts from renewable sources (mainly photovoltaics) in the distribution network, in 2025 there was an increase in cuts compared to previous years.
According to the EAC's annual cut report for 2025, daily maximum cuts ranged from around 50-100 MW on milder days mainly in winter months to over 300-400 MW on days with high sunshine especially spring, summer and autumn.
In terms of energy, a total of about 306 GWh from distributed renewables were cut during 2025. This figure corresponds to a significantly higher level of power cuts compared to 2024 when a total of about 167 GWh was cut in the distribution network.
According to the most recent data concerning May 2026, which is considered a month of high cuts due to the prevailing climatic conditions, the maximum instantaneous cuts per day ranged from about 80 MW to over 300 MW.
On the mildest days of the month, the cuts were lower (80-150 MW), while on many days with intense sunshine they exceeded 250-320 MW maximum hourly/instantaneous cut.
There were several days where the maximum cut exceeded 300 MW, particularly in the middle and end of the month.
