Electricity authority of cyprus

COMPANY PROFILE

2015

Electricity Authority of Cyprus

Power through adversity Editorial: Harriet Pattison

The tragedy of the Evangelos Florakis naval base blast in July 2011 on the island of Cyprus will forever be remembered but now, almost four years later, it will be the sheer determination and strong workmanship of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus which will power through. With the Vasilikos Power Plant, severely damaged in the accident, now fully operational, the EAC has proved that through darkness, always comes light…

Perhaps not surprisingly, electricity in the rural countryside of Cyprus was virtually non-existent up until the 1950’s. But, in 1952, with the establishment of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC), electrification began to spread with previously owned generators within the villages and towns decommissioned.

It is estimated that in 1952, only

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20 000 consumers were in fact connected to the electricity network, however just over a year later, this number rose dramatically to 38,000 and with the establishment of the Cyprus Republic in 1960, this figure rose once more to 80 000 consumers.

Travelling back to 1903 to when Cyprus’ very first source of energy was introduced – the installation of a power

generator – by the British colonial government to assist with the needs within the capital of Lefkosia, a second generator, installed within the Lefkosia General Hospital, soon followed.

It is thought that the country’s very first electricity company Electrofotistiki Eteria Lemesou (The Limassol Electric Light Company) began operating a power station with

Electricity Authority of Cyprus

generators from 1912 but as with all new changes, very few Cypriots were to start using electricity until much later.

Once the supply of electricity became far more readily available to the rural villages and towns, with the help and guidance of the EAC, the numbers inevitably began to rise and by 1954, there were 11 villages all connected to the electricity network with 100 consumers connected by 1960.

In 12 short years, EAC had significantly lifted the standards of living for Cypriots, supplying electricity to the surrounding built up areas on the island. Between 2002 and 2009 alone, the number of consumers connected to the electricity supply rose from 394 000 to 512 000.

THE VASILIKOS POWER PLANT Situated 28km East of Lemesos, work for the Vasilikos Power Station began in 1997 with the first phase coming online in the early 2000’s. This comprised of one gas turbine unit with a capacity of 38MW and two ABB steam turbine units each with a total of 130MW. The second phase included a single steam turbo-generator of 130KW which came online a few years later in 2003.

The fourth unit consisted of two gas turbines with one steam turbogenerator and using combined cycle technology, its capacity reached 220MW. Work on the fifth unit was under construction, when, in the early hours of July 11th 2011, an explosion at the naval base, Evangelos Florakis, on the Southern coast of Cyprus could be heard from over 30 miles away on the island. Involving over 2,000 tons of munitions, 13 people were killed with dozens more injured. 12 months of regular power cuts ensued with rolling blackouts initiated in order to conserve supplies.

Damage to the island’s main power plant, Vasilikos, was detrimental but restoration began just three months later in October 2011.

With Cyprus assuming Presidency of the council of the EU on 1st July 2012, it was essential that works and repairs to Vasilikos were started and completed within a tight timeframe but by the summer of 2012, the electricity units 4 and 5 were fully functional. And by summer 2013, units 1, 2, 3 with a combined total power of 400MW, were fully functional too.

By August 2013, just two years after the blast had destroyed it, Vasilikos was back to full operation.

With unit 5 under construction at the time of the accident, repairs began in 2012 with turbines installed in June and July respectively and a steam unit installed the following November.

The design elements of units 4 and 5 are very similar, both made up of three engines and two turbines, each with 75MW of power and a steam unit which in turn produces a further 70MW. Each unit produces a total of 220MW. Units 1, 2 and 3 are all steam units which produce 130MW each but now, after restoration, they can use natural gas in addition to the fuel gas they would run on originally. Both units 4 and 5 were always scheduled to run on natural gas as part of new investment plans for natural gas usage and from 2016, the three steam turbines at Vasilikos will shift from heavy fuel use to natural gas.

Following the blast at the naval base, the EU estimated that the cost of the accident could be as much as 10% of the country’s economy but the total repairs of the power plant came in dramatically under

the estimation at €165 000 million as oppose to the €300-€700 million prediction.

Alongside the rehabilitation of the units at Vasilikos, a desalination plant was also implemented. Planning initially started in 2009 following an agreement between the EAC and the Water Development Department with construction starting in 2010 by IDE Technologies Ltd. Following the accident, a credibility test for the plant was initiated in July 2013. Over the course of 15 days, a staggering 875,000 cubic meters of desalinated water was produced which, with a value of €720 000, was directed to the Southern Conveyor Project. The desalination unit has the capacity to produce up to 63,000 tons of water every single day when needed.

A RENEWABLE FUTURE? With no indigenous hydrocarbon energy sources, Cyprus relies heavily on imported fuels, like crude oil, for its power generation. The primary

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fuels the country imports is gasoil and heavy fuel oils but with Vasilikos back up and running from 2013, Cyprus is now concentrating heavily on natural gas generation.

Renewable energy is set to be a big part of the future for Cyprus with national targets to ensure that the share of energy produced from renewable energy sources reaches at least 13% out of the gross national total energy consumption by 2020.

The EU’s energy policy is one step ahead, setting out a clear strategic objective to achieve at least a 20% reduction in greenhouse gases by the year 2020, a vast improvement to the 1990 levels. The EU wants to achieve maximum CO2 emissions reduction from power generation plants, such as those operating in Cyprus today.

Of course, the positive effects of renewable energy sources are evident and so the Cyprus

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“The degree of consistency and industriousness shown by EAC’s personnel under these difficult circumstances are powerful guarantees of support for EAC”

Government has started to launch a range of financial measures to help with the renewable objectives through government grants and subsidies. It is hoped this backing will help to promote the benefits of renewable energy sources as a reliable alternative and will help to provide a strong support and incentive base within the country.

Wind energy, biomass and solar energy are the key renewable energy sources which will be promoted for integration into the country’s power system to help towards a reduction of global warming and of the current climate change phenomena.

2013: A YEAR OF CONTINUAL POWER SUPPLY Looking back to 2013 and the Electricity Authority of Cyprus certainly showed noteworthy workmanship, immense

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strength and cooperation; providing an interrupted supply of electricity whilst successfully completing the incredibly difficult challenge of restoring the Vasilikos Power Station after the blast of 2011.

In the company’s 2013 Annual Report, newly appointed Chairman, Othon Theodoulou explained: “In 2013, EAC proceeded to complete a number of significant infrastructure projects concerning both Generation and Transmission/Distribution with the aim of ensuring the uninterrupted supply of electricity throughout Cyprus.

“The most important project for EAC in 2013 was the completion of

and the project showed once again how, in difficult times, the Electricity Authority responds in record time, making the whole EAC family proud of its achievement. With the return to operation of all the Units at Vasilikos Power Station, its installed capacity is now 868 MW.” In addition to the restoration works on the Vasilikos Power Station, the EAC also continued the implementation of its operational programme, providing full maintenance of the existing Dhekelia and Moni Power Stations.

The Dhekelia Power Station, with an installed capacity of 460 MW generated 1 690 810 MWh in 2013

All remaining conventional generator units of the Moni Power Station, units 3, 4, 5 and 6, each 30MW nominal capacity each, were also decommissioned in October 2013.

Writing in the 2013 Annual Report, Dr. Stelios Stylianou, General Manager, explained the additional completed works the EAC carried: “During the course of 2013, the installed capacity of the Transmission Substations increased by 229.5 MVA (Megavolt amperes) following significant work carried out on completing and operating vital transmission substations. In June, the 132-22-11kV Stroumbi Substation was energised,

work on rebuilding Vasilikos Power Station which, as we all know, was almost totally destroyed on 11 July 2011 as a result of the explosion at the Evangelos Florakis Naval Base. The ‘small miracle’, as many experts have aptly described it, took just two years

which corresponded to 42.9% of the total electricity generated from the Authority’s Power Stations. Dhekelia also exported 1 609 307 MWh during the same period, corresponding to 42.7% of the total electricity exported from EAC’s Power Stations.

interconnecting the Anatoliko and Polis Substations.

“In October 2013, the Athienou 132/22-11kV Substation interconnecting the Free Industrial Zone (FIZ) Substation and the new GIS type 132kV Dhekelia Substation

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Electricity Authority of Cyprus was energised. At the same time, upgrading and/or dismantling work took place on the 132/11kV Moni and Latsia Substations and on the 66/11kV International Airport, Pyrgos and Pyla Substations.

“In 2013, important work was carried out on overhead power lines and underground transmission cables, including the 132kV Ypsonas-Trimiklini and the 132/11kV Athienou overhead lines, the dismantling of the 66kV Athalassa-Troulli-Dhekelia and MoniCement Factory transmission lines and the undergrounding of the AthalassaLatsia interconnection.”

Of course, it is the restoration of the Vasilikos Power Station, with an installed capacity of 868 MW, which has shown the EAC’s sheer determination and stands as a prime example of the company’s undeterred values.

In 2013, Vasilikos generated 2 243 261 MWh, corresponding to 56.9% of the total electricity generated from the Authority’s Power Stations and exported 2 156 953 MWh, relating to 57.2% of the total electricity exported.

An impressive undertaking, especially to complete within a two year timeframe, Dr. Stylianou explained much of the repair success of Vasilikos can be attributed to EAC’s dedicated personnel team: “The major endeavour that the Organisation began in July 2011, following the destruction of Vasilikos Power Station as a result of the explosion at the Mari naval base, was concluded in 2013. The exertions that each of us made from our own particular post enabled the Authority to show once again the important role it plays in society and in the country’s economy.

“The huge effort, the coordination of tasks, the undertaking of the multiple works to repair the damage to Vasilikos Power Station and the excellent cooperation between EAC and all the relevant bodies led to the successful

completion of the project. The final cost of rebuilding Vasilikos Power Station was approximately €165 million, in other words half the optimistic estimate (€330 million) quoted by European experts who had studied the amount of damage.

“The degree of consistency and industriousness shown by EAC’s personnel under these difficult circumstances are powerful guarantees of support for EAC in the even more difficult conditions that are being created in the new competitive environment in which the organisation is called upon to operate.

“In early June 2013, Steam Electric

Units 1, 2 and 3 were delivered by the project contractor and brought into commercial operation, while in mid-July 2013 Unit 2 was also brought into commercial operation, thereby completing the full restoration of the power station which will now have an installed capacity of 868 MW,” Dr. Stylianou concluded.

Despite the troubles the EAC and Cyprus have faced, it seems that with another successful year behind it, 2015 will be an even better one and will continue to ensure Cypriots, in the words of the EAC, are offered ‘a life filled with light and an everyday reality filled with energy.’

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