The internationally unrecognized Turkish part of Cyprus is literally keeping the lights on in the neighboring Republic of Cyprus.
Reports in the media on Tuesday reveal the Republic’s electricity supply faces severe strain during evening hours, as power plant failures and ongoing maintenance work continue to plague the national grid, forcing reliance on emergency supplies from the occupied north and renewable sources.
The crisis has been sparked by a severe cold snap which saw a Yellow Weather warning issued on Monday.
The electricity system reached critical levels on Monday evening at 7:30 pm when conventional power generation dropped to 925 megawatts against a consumption of 952 megawatts, according to official data.
With no reserve units available for emergency deployment, authorities prevented household disconnections by drawing approximately 25 megawatts from the north’s grid and 30 megawatts from renewable sources, primarily wind farms and biomass.
The Cyprus Transmission System Operator reported a maximum available generation from the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) units at 1,023 megawatts yesterday evening. However, an additional malfunction at the Dhekelia power station reduced system capacity by 60 megawatts, creating a precarious situation.
The afore mentioned Dhekelia plant was in the headlines over the weekend when residents of Ormidia, a village next to the British base at Dhekelia, along with other neighboring communities, held a peaceful protest on Sunday outside the EAC Power Station.
For years, the power plant has been a significant source of pollution, causing concern among local residents and environmental activists.
Even now, it uses outdated mazut-powered generators which have been criticized for emitting high levels of pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and micro-particles.
“Not a day goes by without plumes of black smoke spilling out across the region,” one resident told Famagusta Gazette. “It is filthy. If you look at the emissions and pollutions chart in Cyprus, this place is always near the top. It is unhealthy for everyone here.”
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