Dispute over energy storage project delays in Cyprus

The Cyprus Electricity Market Association (CEMA) has publicly criticized the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) for delays in issuing connection terms for energy storage projects, claiming these exceed twelve months in some cases. CEMA argues these delays hinder renewable energy integration, increase costs for consumers, and negatively impact investments. In response, the Distribution System Operator (DSO), managed by the EAC, stated that connection terms have been issued for 16 out of 42 applications for existing photovoltaic systems with storage, totaling 29 MW. The Transmission System Operator (TSO) has received 33 applications for standalone storage systems, of which 6 have undergone technical and economic studies; 5 of these have had terms accepted, totaling 60 MW and 190 MWh. The DSO noted that many applications involve saturated transmission substations with no available capacity, complicating the process. CEMA has reported these issues to the Energy Regulatory Authority of Cyprus, the Minister of Energy, and the President of the Republic, demanding immediate intervention.