A €180 million power station expansion in Cyprus faces direct tsunami exposure and lies in the island’s most earthquake-prone zone, where 281 tremors have struck within 10 kilometres over the past 27 years, the Geological Survey Department has warned.
The department raised the alarm in an official letter to the company conducting the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Dhekelia Power Station upgrade, revealing that five of those earthquakes exceeded magnitude 4.0 on the Richter scale and 35 topped magnitude 3.0.
The Ormideia area where the station stands falls into Cyprus’s highest seismic hazard zone, with expected ground shaking strong enough to potentially damage structures, according to Seismological Network data.
The department pointed to the magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck Dasaki tis Achnas on 21 January 2021, just 18 kilometres from Larnaca, as evidence of the region’s seismic threat.
But earthquakes are not the only concern. Because the station sits directly on the coastline and the Cyprus Arc south of the island experiences intense seismic activity, the facilities face direct exposure to possible tsunamis, the department said.
Research estimates moderate tsunamis with one-metre waves hit the area every 30 years, strong tsunamis of one to two metres every 120 years, and very strong tsunamis of two to four metres every 375 years.
Despite these risks, the Geological Survey Department does not object to the upgrade, saying its role is limited to providing geological data.
“The Department is not competent to assess the effects of seismic vibrations on the built environment or the behaviour of buildings under dynamic conditions,” the letter states, placing responsibility on the project’s consultants and engineers.
The Electricity Authority of Cyprus is installing new generation units and energy storage systems at Dhekelia to modernise the facility and permanently shut down old polluting steam turbines.
The Environmental Impact Assessment is open for public consultation until 28 February 2026.
The expansion includes a new generation unit with two to three Open Cycle Gas Turbines producing 60-115 megawatts. The turbines can burn both diesel and natural gas once gas becomes available, serving as a transitional technology towards cleaner energy.