Electricity Demand in the Red — Risk of Cuts High Due to Plant Failures
Yesterday Saw an All-Time Record in Energy Demand, Which Is Expected to Rise Even Further Today and Tomorrow. Meanwhile, Due to Problems at Power Units in Vasilikos and Dhekelia, the Possibility of Cuts Remains Open for Late Afternoon and Early Evening.
Electricity demand recorded an all-time historical high due to extreme temperatures and is expected to surge further in the coming days. The power grid has reached a critical tipping point as surging consumption coincides with technical failures at generation units in Dhekelia and Vasilikos. Meeting energy needs is becoming particularly difficult during the evening hours, when supply relies exclusively on conventional units. The Transmission System Operator of Cyprus (TSOC) is appealing to consumers to save energy, particularly between 18:00 and 22:00, to prevent rolling cuts.
Record-Breaking Heat and Unprecedented Demand
The grid’s ability to cover household and business electricity needs is on the brink after reaching an all-time peak yesterday. Demand is expected to climb even higher today and tomorrow as extreme temperatures persist. The combination of soaring demand and persistent technical failures at units in Dhekelia and Vasilikos has pushed the national power system to its absolute limits, prompting the Transmission System Operator of Cyprus (TSOC) to issue an urgent appeal for energy conservation to prevent catastrophic grid failures.
In statements to INK, Charis Zavalis, Assistant Director of the National Energy Control Center at TSOC, emphasized that the grid is operating at a critical level due to heightened demand driven by extreme heat and operational issues at Vasilikos and Dhekelia. He noted that electricity demand over recent days has been exceptionally high, with yesterday setting an all-time record, peaking at 1,321 megawatts (MW) at noon.
According to Mr. Zavalis, the previous record peak occurred during the same period in 2024, when demand reached 1,289 MW. He warned that today's and tomorrow's demand is expected to eclipse yesterday's historical figure.
The Evening Generation Deficit
Furthermore, Mr. Zavalis informed that evening demand reached 1,083 MW, which had to be generated entirely by conventional thermal units. This presents the primary bottleneck, as renewable energy source (RES) generation drops to near-zero levels during peak evening hours.
He reiterated that energy demand will rise further today and tomorrow as high temperatures continue for two more days, specifically noting that midday demand is expected to reach unprecedented levels near 1,350 MW, with evening demand approaching 1,100 MW.
Meeting energy needs during the evening hours is considered exceptionally precarious because two conventional generation units, one in Dhekelia and one in Vasilikos, are currently out of service. Should an additional failure occur at another plant, the system will be entirely unable to meet demand.
He added that conventional production currently stands at 1,083 MW. However, assuming the Dhekelia unit comes back online by late afternoon as scheduled, conventional capacity will reach 1,140 MW, marginally covering the peak load. He stressed, however, that if the unit fails to restart on time, covering evening energy needs will prove extremely difficult.
Outages at Vasilikos and Dhekelia
As known, units at Vasilikos remain offline, while units at Dhekelia were brought offline in a controlled manner last night; one of the Dhekelia units is expected to return to service this afternoon.
"Even if demand is met, the system will be operating at its absolute limit with zero reserve margins," explained Mr. Zavalis, adding that intensive repair efforts are underway by the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) to resolve the fault at Dhekelia.
Addressing the potential for further mechanical failures, the TSOC representative stated that operators would be completely unable to meet surging demand, emphasizing that "today and tomorrow will be exceptionally challenging days."
Imminent Threat of Rolling Power Cuts
When asked directly whether TSOC will proceed with controlled rolling blackouts if the Dhekelia unit fails to return to service, Mr. Zavalis declined to comment directly on cut protocols, stressing that he did not want to panic consumers.
Instead, he issued a strong appeal to citizens to conserve energy, especially during peak evening hours between 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM, to allow the grid to stay afloat, even if only marginally.
Regarding the Vasilikos plant, he clarified that the unit was taken offline urgently following manufacturer recommendations to perform preventative technical inspections and avoid more severe structural damage. He added that this emergency shutdown resulted in a loss of 105 MW of capacity at a time when national demand is hitting historic extremes.
Mr. Zavalis reiterated his dramatic plea to the public to practice maximum energy conservation, particularly during the critical 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM window, to prevent widespread power system collapse.
