Cyprus seeks contractors for PV, energy storage systems at National Guard camps

Companies can apply by April 23 to qualify for a tender for the design and construction of photovoltaic and energy storage systems at the facilities of the National Guard of Cyprus. The planned overall capacities are 11.6 MW and 32.3 MWh, respectively.

State-owned Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) is conducting a project, fully funded by the European Union, for the installation of photovoltaic systems and batteries at 64 army camps. The aim is for the National Guard to generate electricity for self-consumption.

The Ministry of Defence and EAC signed the agreement in August. The project is for a total of 11.6 MW of solar power capacity, while 45 military camps are expected to be equipped with energy storage systems as well, of an overall 32.3 MWh.

The utility launched a call for qualifications, lasting until April 23. In the next stage, eligible firms will send financial bids for the design and construction. The tender is valued at EUR 15.5 million excluding value-added tax.

Fully EU-funded project is two years late

The entire EUR 19 million project is covered from the EU’s structural funds, through the program Thalia 2021-2027. It was supposed to begin in the first half of 2023.

The selected contractors will have 36 months to complete their installations, the documentation reads. The solar and hybrid facilities would operate under the net billing or virtual net billing scheme.

Separate tenders for several lots under three categories

To optimize the tender, EAC divided the lots into three categories by solar power unit size. Participation criteria are stricter for larger ones.

Category A, covering 15 military camps, is for units of up to 50 kW each. Total planned size is 600 kW, with 1.8 MWh in estimated battery capacity. There are 38 locations in category B, between 50 kW and 300 kW. The combined capacities are 6 MW and 17.5 MW, respectively.

Category C is for PV systems in 10 camps, of 300 kW to 700 kW each, for 5 MW altogether. The proposed energy storage capacity is 13 MWh.

The budget for the first bunch is EUR 800,000, while EUR 8.2 million was earmarked for category B. The largest solar power and battery systems are valued at EUR 6.5 million excluding VAT.

Additionally, each category will be divided into two to four groups with separate calls for bids, according to the project.

Lack of storage in Cyprus is jeopardizing its grid stability

EAC is also responsible for the electricity distribution and transmission systems in the island country. Notably, the company has been struggling to prevent blackouts from grid overloads as well as from episodes of unexpected drops in solar and wind power production. Cyprus, the only non-interconnected EU member state, lacks storage capacity and curtailment systems.

Elsewhere in the region that Balkan Green Energy News covers, Slovenia has initiated a project for solar power in a military barracks and its Ministry of Defence is working on the establishment of a green hydrogen hub.