Nicosia gets EU funds for energy storage
The Republic of Cyprus has secured 40 million euros from the Just Transition Fund for energy storage facilities, addressing the inflexibility of its electricity system in storing excess energy from renewables.
In a letter to Parliament, Energy Minister George Papanastasiou emphasizes the promotion of central and hybrid storage facilities under the “Photovoltaics for All” program. Papanastasiou notes the ministry’s pursuit of assigning central energy storage facilities to the Cyprus Transmission System Operator (TSOC), requiring derogations from EU directives. The preparatory work for this request has been completed and will be submitted to the European Commission soon.
Regarding hybrid storage systems, Papanastasiou expects the announcement of an aid plan, with public consultation comments under review.
The “Photovoltaics for All” plan targets residential customers with specific consumption and system capacity criteria. Papanastasiou assures widespread installation of residential photovoltaic systems across Cyprus, with exceptions in limited areas addressed by the Distribution System Operator (DSO).
