Nicosia: Cyprus' Transmission System Operator has issued a warning that the country's power system is facing severe pressure due to extreme temperatures that have pushed electricity demand close to the available generation capacity. They have urged consumers to reduce electricity use during peak evening hours.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Haris Zavallis, Assistant Director of the National Energy Control Centre at the Cyprus Transmission System Operator (TSO), reported that the system currently has 183 megawatts of available capacity. Despite this, Zavallis described the situation as "extremely marginal," cautioning that demand between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. could put significant pressure on the available supply. "We cannot say with certainty that we will be able to meet the evening demand. The system is under stress and operating at its limits," Zavallis stated.
The TSO's statement on Wednesday highlighted the Electricity Authority of Cyprus' (EAC) intensive but ultimately unsuccessful efforts to return an additional generating unit at the Dhekelia power station to service. The risk to the electricity supply has increased due to simultaneous faults affecting generating units at both the Dhekelia and Vasilikos power stations.
Electricity supply during the evening peak hours, between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, remains extremely marginal, with an emerging risk that demand may not be fully met due to the simultaneous outages. The operator has again appealed to consumers to use electrical appliances sparingly during this period to help reduce demand.
Under normal conditions, the TSO maintains sufficient reserves to replace the country's largest generating unit in the event of an unexpected outage, allowing supply to be restored within 12 to 15 minutes. However, with fast-start reserve units already expected to be operating to meet demand, reserve margins will remain extremely limited.
Zavallis emphasized that the TSO would utilize every available megawatt of generation to avoid power cuts. "We will exhaust every available megawatt to meet demand, even if that means operating temporarily with very limited reserves, without compromising the safety or reliability of the electricity system," he assured.
At the same time, Zavallis appealed to citizens to reduce electricity consumption, particularly between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. today and tomorrow, when demand is expected to peak. The TSO noted that high temperatures are expected to continue on Thursday, with temperatures forecasted to fall below 40 degrees Celsius from Friday, which should ease the pressure on electricity demand. The operator added that it will continue managing the situation with the primary objective of ensuring the safe operation of Cyprus' electricity system.