First and foremost, the Electricity Authority of Cyprus expresses its sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims of today’s explosion and wishes the more than sixty injured a rapid and full recovery.  From the moment the Chairman of the Board and the General Manager of the EAC were informed of the tragic event, they were in constant communication with the Minister of Commerce, Industry & Tourism and the Presidential Palace, with all the authorities involved as well as with the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority and the Transmission System Operator. Subsequently, the Minister of Commerce, Industry & Tourism, Antonis Paschalides, presided over an on-site meeting to examine all the problems created at Vasilikos. The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the EAC Board and the General Manager of the Authority. Decisions were taken at the meeting and the President of the Republic was duly informed.

There followed another meeting at the EAC’s Head Offices attended by representatives of the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (CERA), the Director of the Transmission System Operator (TSO). The issue will also be the subject of tomorrow’s emergency meeting of the EAC Board of Directors at which decisions will be taken.

It is clear that Vasilikos Power Station has suffered enormous damage and it cannot be brought back into immediate operation.

Given the situation, the EAC in collaboration with CERA and the TSO, is examining every possible scenario for dealing with the electricity supply problem that has arisen.

In this context the EAC is examining the possibility of bringing mobile generators to Cyprus. At the same time, it is looking into the question of aid from the European Union, as provided for by the relevant Directive.

The objective of the EAC, CERA and the TSO is to ensure that vital sectors of the economy such as tourism and industry are affected in the least possible way.

To this end, the supply of electricity to:

1.    basic State services and other vital services (Hospitals, Airports, Police, Water Pumping Stations, etc.)

2.    the main tourist areas and

3.    large industrial areas containing large industrial units

will continue uninterrupted as far as possible.

Other areas, which have been divided into thirteen groups, will be subject to power cuts one by one. Since the duration of these cuts is not certain, consumers should always act as if their premises are ‘live’, i.e. they have power.

Members of the public are advised not to use lifts since the power may be cut at any moment. We also urge the public not to use airconditioning units at all and to reduce their overall electricity consumption.

The EAC wishes to assure the people of Cyprus that it will take every possible measure to deal with the demand for electricity in collaboration with CERA and all other relevant services in order to facilitate this difficult task. 

-END-

Press Officer:  11 July 2011