Electricity demand reaches record levels

With an average daily demand of 1290 MW, yesterday's consumption of electricity in Cyprus reached a record-breaking level of 1294 MW. In response, the Transmission System Operator (TSO) advised the public to cut back on their electricity use in order avoid further outages of electricity.

According to the TSO, this extraordinary demand exceeds the previous record, which was achieved on July 24, 2023, when the demand hit 1243 MW.

The largest power consumption of the year was recorded on July 22, 2023, between 14:30 and 14:45, according to the Integrated Communications and Monitoring Group (ICMG). For a brief period, the demand peaked at 1294 MW, which was a record for Cyprus.

This morning, Public Power Corporation (PPC) spokesman Roger Tapakis spoke on state radio, highlighting that this year’s electricity demand has broken all previous records. He noted that the call to restrict electricity use in the afternoons and evenings was a precautionary measure in case of system faults.

Tapakis explained that the announcement was made due to the extreme heat and humidity, which, coupled with high electricity demand, meant the system was operating at its limits. He also pointed out the significant increase in renewable energy sources (RES) integrated into the system, which now constitutes about 42% of the energy mix.

However, the contribution of RES drops significantly in the afternoon and evening, raising concerns about system stability if transmission or distribution issues arise.

Renewable energy's role in peak demand

During the peak demand period, RES contributed 539 MW, covering 42.2% of the demand. Throughout the day, the average RES contribution was around 20%. The total electricity demand yesterday reached 1290 MW, which is 50 MW higher than last year's peak demand of 1243 MW.

Tapakis also mentioned that today’s early morning demand is already higher compared to the same time yesterday. However, he expects the situation to improve by evening, as temperatures are forecasted to drop slightly, reducing the strain on the power supply.

Requiring less use of electricity

In order to prevent rotating load shedding, the ICMG asked the public in a statement released yesterday to restrict their usage of electricity between 18:00 and 22:00. Any required interruptions in electricity should only take a maximum of half an hour to complete.

Concerns over high electricity bills

Aside from the unprecedented demand, residents and small companies are becoming more concerned about noticeably higher electrical costs. Owing to the prolonged heat wave, air conditioners have been operating nonstop for the previous two months, resulting in increased energy usage.

There is little respite from the high cost of electricity because of the present subsidy programs. In response to questions about the anticipated rise in summer electricity bills, George Petrou, the head of the Cyprus Energy Commission, recently called the situation an oncoming "electric shock".