The sheer concentration of energy, industrial and military installations at Vasilikos is raising concerns about the risks to Cyprus’s economy and security in the event of a crisis, according to a study prepared on behalf of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC).
The study, produced in the context of EAC’s plans to operate a 17.7 MW solar park at Mari, catalogues the full extent of development in an area that has effectively become Cyprus’s energy centre.
What is already there
The following installations currently operate in the wider Vasilikos area:
- Naval Base “Evangelos Florakis”
- Power Energy Cyprus (PEC)
- EAC Vasilikos Power Station
- Archirodon port
- Petrolina (Holdings) Public Ltd liquid fuels terminal
- M.S. (Skyra) Vassas Ltd jetty
- VTTV liquid fuels storage terminal
- VTTV jetty
- Vasilikos port
- Vasilikos cement plant
- Ecofuel Cyprus facilities (north-west of Vasilikos port)
- Sulphuric acid storage facilities (near the landward end of the VTTV jetty)
- Hellenic Petroleum Cyprus liquid fuels storage terminal at Industrial Plot 15
- Economides Scrap Metal facilities (north of Industrial Plot 15)
- Animal feed warehouses
The development plan
The Vasilikos Area Development Plan was completed in January 2017 and subsequently revised following the discovery of natural gas deposits and plans by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works and the Cyprus Ports Authority to upgrade and expand Vasilikos port.
The revised plan’s strategic study includes the following proposed zones and developments:
- Existing installations of the EAC power station, Vasilikos cement plant, Vasilikos port, VTTV Ltd and Petrolina
- A zone for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) onshore terminal, comprising: Phase 1, with space for up to three LNG liquefaction trains and LNG storage facilities; and Phase 2, with space for up to two further liquefaction units and storage facilities — the latter required only if gas discoveries exceed 20–25 trillion cubic feet (TCF)
- A multi-use LNG jetty designed for import and export of LNG and potentially for fuel oil or petroleum product imports and exports
- A zone for petroleum product storage and gas-related industries, including petrochemicals, in two phases, plus liquefied petroleum gas storage in bermed tanks in the northern part of the zone
- Gas-related industries and facilities, including methanol production and natural gas compression
- A 500-metre protection zone around the LNG areas and a 400-metre protection zone around petroleum storage and gas-related industrial zones
- A future quarrying zone for the Vasilikos cement plant
- Zones for offices and laboratories
The plan also provides for new berths, including a dedicated LNG jetty, an exclusive berth for liquefied petroleum gas, a berth for asphalt tankers, and an extended VTTV jetty to increase petroleum product imports.
The Mari solar park
The study was prepared in connection with EAC’s intention to operate a 17.7 MW solar park at Mari. The park will connect to the EAC grid, feeding its output into the authority’s energy balance.
It will comprise 26,450 photovoltaic panels at 670W each and cover an area of 264,956 square metres, with the largest single plot measuring 214,274 square metres.
The panels will be arranged in arrays across the fully fenced site, with 2.5 kilometres of perimeter fencing fitted with security cameras. Motion and fire/heat detectors will be installed inside substations and enclosed spaces, along with communications equipment and a SCADA supervisory control and data acquisition system.
EAC says the construction and operation of solar parks increases the share of renewable energy in Cyprus’s electricity mix, contributing to compliance with European directives and the Kyoto Treaty target of generating 23 per cent of energy from renewable sources by 2030.