EAC power plan for Famagusta to cost CYP 35 mln

The Electricity Authority of Cyprus is ready to implement an emergency power plan for the abandoned city of Famagusta if and when this is returned to the Greek Cypriot refugees, a presentation concluded on Tuesday.

As it is damaged beyond beyond repair, rebuilding the electricity supply grid of the ghost town would cost upward of CYP 35 mln, in addition to the cost of building alternative sub-stations and high-tension underground cable networks.

Senior EAC officials headed by the Director of Network Development, Venizelos Efthymiou, presented the “Action Plan for the Electrification of Famagusta” to the town’s refugee mayor Alexis Ghalanos and his municipal council, that foresees the deployment of two alternative power grids, depending on whether the Ammochostos power switching station in the Farangas area will be returned under any United Nations plan.

EAC Chairman Charilaos Stavrakis emphasised the utility’s readiness to implement such a plan at very short notice “which will help in the smooth resettlement of the city’s population.”

During his presentation Efthymiou explained that the electrification of the town “is of vital importance for the creation of conditions of redevelopment of the economic, social and touristic infrastructure of the town.”

“The redesign and replacement of the existing power grid is unavoidable as 33 years of idleness and lack of maintenance have pushed the infrastructure to beyond its natural limits of use,” Efthymiou said.

If the Ammochostos sub station is returned to operation the work required to rebuild the grid include the repair of two primary substations at Golden Sands, upgrade of the Ayios Nikolaos substation from 66/11 kV and connection to the Dhekelia-Ayios Nikolaos 132 kV line, the installation of a closed circuit substation at Ayios Memnonas and underground cables from Paralimni. This plan will cost CYP 11.9 mln.

If the Ammochostos station is not handed over in case of a solution, the plan foresees the immediate supply of electricity through underground cables from Paralimni and the installation of a closed circuit substation at Ayios Memnonas, activation of a primary substation south of the port and the subsequent installation of 132 kV grids and the supply of power from Dhekelia-Ayios Nikolaos. This option would cost CYP 13 mln.