Photo: Tom from Pixabay
AGM Lightpower has submitted an environmental impact study for a 72 MW photovoltaic park with a 41 MW battery system in Cyprus. The location is near the capital Nicosia.
Investors in solar and wind power are increasingly adding storage to their projects and the trend has swiftly picked up in the region tracked by Balkan Green Energy News. Batteries enable operators of such systems to sell electricity at times of day when prices are higher and to adjust delivery according to their contracts. Storage also makes it possible for them to provide balancing and flexibility services.
In addition, grid operators are already giving priority to projects that include battery facilities in the lists for connection, as networks are becoming congested.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment of Cyprus has received an environmental impact assessment study for a 72 MW solar park, which would currently be the biggest in the country by far. The public consultation is underway until April 2 for the project, developed by Limassol-based AGM Lightpower and its affiliate AGM Solar Power.
The firm, founded five years ago, said it would integrate a battery system with 41 MW in operating power and a capacity of 82 MWh, using Huawei’s LUNA2000-2.0MWH-1H0/2H0 lithium-ion devices of 1 MW each.
Investment estimated at EUR 77.15 million
The photovoltaic plant with storage is planned to be built near the villages of Akaki and Kokkinotrimithia in the Nicosia province. The area spans 82 hectares of state land, which would be taken under a lease. The solar park is envisaged to be made up of 114,297 panels, separated into 11 segments of 3 MW to 8 MW each, on both sides of a road.
Two solar parks of 7.5 MW are just one kilometer away
The company estimated the investment at EUR 77.15 million and said it would cover it with own funds. The site is 185 to 210 meters above sea level. The nearest house is 30 meters west of the location while the closest settlement is 300 meters to the northwest.
Two solar farms of 7.5 MW each have been installed in Kokkinotrimithia in 2020, just 1.2 kilometers away, while several more small facilities are planned in the area.
AGM Lightpower received an environmental permit a year ago for a 1.5 MW solar power plant with 500 kW of storage in the municipality of Geri in the Nicosia province.
Cyprus has over 350 MW in solar power installations
As for other major endeavors in the territory controlled by the Cypriot Greek government, there was a plan for a concentrated solar power (CSP) plant of 50 MW with thermal storage in Alassa near Limassol. However, the project has been dormant since 2020.
The Holy Archdiocese of Cyprus and Electricity Authority of Cyprus have established a joint venture that is developing projects for a group of solar power plants.
Cyprus hosts photovoltaic installations of over 350 MW in total, of which more than 140 MW is in net metering systems. Recently a grid overload triggered an emergency mechanism and some smaller solar power plants were briefly disconnected, highlighting the need for investment in the network and the deployment of storage systems.
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