Limassol: By Saturday, power is expected to be fully restored in the main areas of all communities impacted by the recent wildfires in the Limassol district, as announced by the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) spokesperson Christina Papadopoulou to CNA on Thursday.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Papadopoulou stated that while the primary goal is to have power back on in the central areas of these communities by the weekend, efforts will continue to restore electricity to the more isolated homes on the outskirts. She mentioned that electricity supply has largely been reinstated in the main areas of the affected communities, either through the EAC grid or with the assistance of generators. Currently, communities such as Agios Therapon, Monagri, and Lofou are powered by generators. Papadopoulou noted that power restoration in these areas would be slightly delayed due to the challenging task of road opening.
Papadopoulou explained that their initial focus was to restore power to the majority of network users within the core areas of the communities. However, she cautioned that while work continues at the same pace, visible progress might not be immediate, as restoring power to a single property could necessitate replacing 10 to 15 utility poles-a significant and lengthy process.
So far, 520 out of the 700 burned poles have been replaced, along with 17 out of 50 transformers. Additionally, a 17.5 km medium voltage overhead network has been constructed to replace the 80-kilometre network destroyed by the wildfires.
Papadopoulou also advised that in the case of total or partial damage to a property’s electrical installation, customers are required by law, in partnership with a professional electrician, to submit an application to the EAC for an inspection. This service will be provided free of charge to residents of the affected communities.