Operating electricity grid on small island a ‘particular challenge’

Operating an electricity grid on a small island is a “particular challenge”, Marios Pappoutis, the transmission system operator’s assistant network operator said on Friday.

“The operation of the grid on a small, isolated island constitutes a particular challenge in itself. Maintaining the balance between supply and demand, and by extension the frequency of the system, is critical,” he told a summit of the international renewable energy agency (Irena) in Abu Dhabi.

He added that “an even greater challenge is balancing such an isolated system with the increased penetration of distributed generation from renewable energy sources”.

“In Cyprus, in the morning and afternoon, we use increased conventional production to balance demand and supply, thus increasing the cost of electricity, as there is no interconnection with any other country,” he said.

As such, he called for a “change of culture and greater active involvement of energy users” in energy management systems, so as to “provide flexibility”.

This, he said, will “ensure and strengthen the stability and resilience of the network’s operation”.