The Transmission System Operator of Cyprus (TSOC) predicts that transmission and distribution grid operators might want to curtail 28% of the nation’s annual inexperienced vitality manufacturing in 2024.
The TSOC stated that the curtailment of renewable vitality in Cyprus is important to ensure the steadiness of the electrical energy community, given the robust uptake of photo voltaic, the shortage of put in vitality storage capability on the island, and the shortage of electrical energy interconnections with neighboring nations.
pv journal has offered the urgent challenge of Cyprus’ renewable energy curtailments earlier than, however curtailments are anticipated to achieve unprecedented ranges within the coming 12 months.
The TSOC stated it expects the island’s annual curtailments to achieve 28% of all generated inexperienced electrical energy in 2024. Curtailments in March, April and Might might attain 59%, 79% and 51%, respectively, stated the TSOC. Curtailments from July to September, when the nation turns into a well-liked vacationer vacation spot and demand for air-conditioning rises, are predicted to vary from simply 0% to five%.
The TSOC stated that these predictions apply solely to renewable energy amenities monitored by the nation’s transmission and distribution networks by way of SCADA techniques. This consists of wind farms and about 47% of the island’s PV capability. Nevertheless, if it accounts for all solar energy technology, together with unmonitored photo voltaic vitality, curtailments in 2024 might lower to round 13%, stated the TSOC.
Renewable vitality knowledgeable Dr. Andreas Procopiou advised pv journal that small residential and business photo voltaic PV installations are usually not usually monitored by means of the community operators’ SCADA techniques. In conditions characterised by important imbalances between technology and demand, community operators can resort to various management strategies comparable to ripple management.
This offers them the flexibleness to exert a definite stage of administration over smaller installations, and the choice to disconnect them from the community if mandatory. Presently, the curtailment problem in Cyprus primarily impacts giant photo voltaic crops, with no provision for monetary compensation for the curtailed technology.
Procopiou stated that “the nation’s grid operators curtailed about 3.3% and 13.4% of the annual generated inexperienced vitality in 2022 and 2023 respectively.” This solely issues the vitality from the items which might be monitored by the community operators. The TSOC is now anticipating that this determine will soar as much as 28% in 2024.
“This can’t be a sustainable state of affairs for renewable vitality buyers,” stated Procopiou.
The principle lesson for policymakers is that Cyprus urgently wants vitality storage, he added.
“Cyprus lined about 20% of its electrical energy wants in 2023 by way of renewables,” stated Procopiou. “We gained’t be capable of decarbonise our vitality system additional until we embrace vitality storage and new, good methods of working our networks.”
However the satan is within the particulars, he stated.
“The nation’s electrical energy market doesn’t have an open, liberalised construction and remains to be a mirrored image of the previous. The federal government ought to open the electrical energy market, together with vitality storage, to competitors,” defined Procopiou. “Solely the brand new applied sciences coupled with market aggressive can supply Cyprus the options it wants.”
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