Nicosia: Significant progress has been made in restoring electricity to the fire-affected areas, according to the Minister of Energy George Papanastasiou. Speaking on Wednesday, Papanastasiou said that the goal is for 80% of communities to be reconnected to the power grid by the weekend, either through standard connections or with the use of generators.
According to Cyprus News Agency, following a Cabinet meeting, the Minister noted that power has already been fully restored in several communities, including Ayios Georgios Sylikou, Alassa, Lofou, Mallia, and Ypsonas, while work continues in other areas. He praised the efforts of more than 150 members of staff from the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) who are operating under difficult conditions in remote and rugged terrain and extreme heat, publicly thanking “the heroes who have been on the ground since day one.”
Papanastasiou highlighted the Ministry’s efforts in sourcing the necessary machinery for the restoration works. He described the challenges faced by workers, stating, “We’re talking about intense heat, with workers under the sun, on poles, in ravines and other inaccessible areas.” He also estimated that full restoration of electricity without generators would take approximately one month due to the condition of medium-voltage infrastructure installed as far back as the 1970s in hard-to-reach areas. Nonetheless, he assured that all necessary materials are available in EAC warehouses, eliminating the need for imports of cables or transformers.
In addition to the power restoration efforts, Papanastasiou announced two financial assistance schemes for affected businesses, in collaboration with relevant agencies and the Ministry of Finance. “The first scheme covers compensation for raw materials, goods, and supplies destroyed by the fire or power outage. The second supports the reactivation of business infrastructure and equipment,” he stated.
Financial aid will be provided under the EU de minimis regulation, with a maximum amount of £300,000 per business. For the reactivation scheme, funding may be distributed in three stages – an advance, an intermediate payment, and a final payment – to ensure liquidity during recovery. Papanastasiou noted that preliminary estimates, pending final damage assessments by the Ministry of Interior, indicate that the fire has affected 19 business premises, 85 warehouses, three restaurants, and one canteen.
According to Papanastasiou, the Energy Ministry is awaiting the official damage forms to begin processing compensation. An initial budget of £700,000 has already been allocated for disbursement starting next week, and the Minister assured that any additional funding required will be covered by the Ministry of Finance. He also mentioned that the Ministry has set up a service center and has already contacted the affected businesses and property owners to exchange information and accelerate recovery and reactivation efforts.
Beyond restoring the power grid, the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) has announced additional support measures for those affected. For all residential and commercial customers whose properties connected to the EAC network were impacted, the Authority will subsidize their most recent electricity bill by up to £500, automatically and without any required action on their part, as long as they are listed by local authorities as fire-affected.
In addition, any electricity disconnections in the affected areas are suspended until September 30, 2025, including for those with outstanding debts. During this period, no disconnection notices will be sent, nor will supply be cut for unpaid bills.