Gross final energy consumption from Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in Cyprus reached 4.8% in 2010, a Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism official said, expressing optimism that Cyprus will meet its target set out in its national action plan for 13% share of energy from RES, in the framework of the EU 2020 targets.
For this reason, Cyprus established a grants scheme, which in the period of 2005-2010 has approved grants for energy conservation and the utilization of RES totaling 67.09 million euro, whereas the Cyprus Council of Ministers has approved the new Grants Scheme for 2011.
''We have covered the 2010 target in almost all categories and in some fields we have exceeded our target,'' Ioannis Chryssis a Ministry of Commerce's official said in an interview with CNA.
''The implementation of the targets set by Cyprus' energy policy began to materialise and we are certain that with the strict compliance with the plan's provisions we will achieve our targets,'' he added.
According to the plan, the 13% target would be reached if the RES share in electricity generation should reach 16%, which according to Chryssis corresponds to 300 Megawatt (Mw) from wind systems, 192 Mw from solar systems, 75 Mw from solar thermal systems and 17 Mw from biomass.
Furthermore, the plan stipulates that RES contribution in the field of heating and cooling must reach 23.5%, whereas the RES share in road transport is set at 10%.
According to Department of Energy figures for 2009, the average growth rate for energy consumption in Cyprus reached 2.6%, whereas electricity consumption average growth rate reached 6.8%. The cost of energy import reached a hefty 970 million euro representing 14% of the island's total imports cost.
Cyprus has put in place a legal framework, which provides for a Special Fund for Energy Conservation and the utilization of Renewable Energy Sources, the income of which comes from the imposition of an energy tax of 0.0022 euro for every kilowatt-hour (kWh) in electricity consumption.
Chryssis said that for 2011 the Special Funds' budget exceeds 25.5 million euro. A total of 3.12 million will be granted for applications that entered the scheme from previous years, 5.72 million for applications for heating and cooling from RES and 17 million for electricity generation from RES.
Concerning today's RES development in Cyprus, Chryssis said that there was a significant increase of the installed capacity of solar systems to 6.6 megawatt, compared to 2009 when the installed solar power, both of the systems connected to the island's grid and of the autonomous systems was only 3.5 megawatt.
According to Chryssis, this increase was boosted by the completion of the installation of 1.1 megawatt solar power systems at the rooftops of public buildings, schools and military camps, in a project funded by the EU structural funds and Cyprus. Additionally 2010 saw the completion of four solar power parks of a total capacity of 600 kilowatt.
Furthermore, two new applications were lodged in December 2010 for solar-thermal power stations of 25 megawatt total capacity, which according to their implementation timeframe would be operational by the end of 2014.
Chryssis said that ''2010 was the year with the biggest developments concerning the promotion of wind energy'', as Cyprus' first wind park with a total capacity of 82 megawatt began operation, whereas contracts were signed for the construction of an additional five wind parks with a total capacity of 75.5 megawatt.
Chryssis finally noted that a total of 11 units for electricity generation from biomass with a total capacity of 7.9 megawatt are already operational, whereas biomass systems of 1.25 megawatt have entered the grants scheme and are expected to be completed within the next 18 months.
