Controlled rolling electricity cuts began across Cyprus on Wednesday evening after generation outages left the power system unable to meet demand during peak hours, the island's transmission system operator said.
The Cyprus Transmission System Operator (TSO Cyprus) started rotating power cuts at 6.52pm local time, with outages affecting different groups of consumers across the island.
TSO Cyprus Director Stavros Stavrinides told CNA that "from 6.52 pm load shedding began on a rotational basis due to inability to cover demand".
He said the power cuts were expected to continue until between 9pm and 9.30pm local time and were being applied nationwide by group. Each affected group would be without electricity for approximately 18 to 20 minutes, he added.
The operator had warned earlier on Wednesday that coverage of peak evening demand between 6pm and 10pm was "extremely marginal" because of simultaneous faults affecting Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) generating units at the Dhekelia and Vasilikos power stations.
TSO Cyprus said the available generation capacity was insufficient to meet demand during the evening peak period, despite intensive efforts by the EAC to bring an additional generating unit at Dhekelia back into service.
The operator also renewed an appeal to the public to limit the use of electrical appliances during evening peak hours in order to reduce electricity consumption.
The supply problems come as Cyprus remains under severe heatwave conditions, with temperatures forecast to reach up to 44 degrees Celsius inland on Thursday.
