Energy crisis won’t go away, says Cyprus energy regulator

The energy crisis will be with us for some time to come, with the island’s main power station that was destroyed in an arms blast two weeks ago only expected to resume gradual output in a month’s time, Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA) chairman Giorgos Shammas said on Saturday.
Speaking to the press after a meeting with President Demetris Christofias, Shammas said that damage estimates at the Vassiliko power plant are not ready yet and that efforts are focused on restoring the two newer units of the power plant which are thought to be in a better condition. However, these are only expected to be in good working order by next summer.
He added that units from the Greek Public Power Corp. (PPC/DEH) with an output capacity of 70 megawatts, will arrive next week and should be operational by August 15.
Shammas said that the state-owned Electricity Authority of Cyprus, owner-operator of the Vassiliko power station that had a design output capacity of some 850 MW, will go out to tender by the end of July and secure short-term generator rentals within 30 days.