An environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been submitted for a renewable energy project combining solar PV and energy storage on the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus.
The project would combine 72MW of solar PV with a 41MW/82MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS), making it the largest to-date of either technology type. It would be located in the Akaki area of the Nicosia province.
Companies AGM Solar power Limited and AGM Lightpower Limited submitted the EIA with the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment last month, and the consultation runs until 2 April in a few weeks’ time.
According to the EIA, the companies expect construction to start in 2025 and for the project to be online by 2028.
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Cyprus is aiming for a renewable energy generation mix of 23% by 2030. It relies on fossil fuel imports for three thermal power stations totalling 1480MW which currently serve the vast majority of its electricity needs.
On top of the co-located project, EIAs were submitted to the Ministry portal for another (approximately) 50MW of solar PV projects in February.
Island nations across the world are deploying combined renewable and energy storage projects to reduce fossil fuel dependency and ensure the renewable-generated energy can be used when it’s most needed.
Just yesterday, Energy-Storage.news reported on a French company winning contracts to provide 60MW of solar PV projects with attached BESS units in Mauritius.
Last week, it was revealed that on a BESS installation in the Faroe Islands that doubled the utilisation of a wind farm. The BESS was provided by the energy solutions arm of Japanese conglomerate Hitachi.
In January, a solar and storage project with a 2.1MW BESS broke ground on the island of Anegada in the British Virgin Islands.
Read more of Energy-Storage.news coverage of island renewable energy projects with energy storage here.
You can access the EIA submission notice and full EIA document (in Cypriot Greek) on the Ministry’s website here.
