Temporary power generators from overseas along with efforts to repair destroyed power supplies are beginning to yield results - enhancing Cyprus' electricity demands after last month's power station blast.
President of the Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA), Giorgos Siammas, said that a further batch of generators will brought from Greece on August 31.
The new generators boast a total capacity of 70MW. An additional 95MW from US company Energy International will enhance the system. The first set of generators from Greece were put into use last Monday.
Siammas said he believed that by the end of August, authorities will have repaired a unit at the Vassilikos power plant, which could produce additional 35MW.
He added that Cyprus’ electricity production is enhanced by power generators of 12MW, which were sent from Israel, while soon, generators offered by the Bank of Cyprus – of 20MW – will be installed and operated. Ten MW will cover the Authority’s needs and the remaining 10 MW will cover the needs of the Bank of Cyprus.
''This will cover our needs from September 1 2011 until Febuary 2012," he said, adding that, that based on those facts, the production of electricity will reach its limits.
The next goal, he said, will be to operate the two Vassilikos units which have not suffered a lot of damage from the blast by the summer of 2012 and which could produce additional 450MW, he said.
The remaining three units in Vassilikos will be restored in 2.5 years, according to EU estimations.
Natural gas
CERA firmly believes that natural gas will have to come to Cyprus as soon as possible, Siammas said.
Natural gas can be used in power units in Vassilikos, which are expected to be repaired, as well as to the future expansion of the system, because it offers the lower cost solution with the lowest use of fuel per unit of produced energy.
According to Siammas, right after the solution of the energy problem, governmental decisions should be taken so that Cyprus becomes a regional energy centre.