Energy security and issues concerning the entry of natural gas into Cyprus for power generation purposes were the main topics of discussion at the meeting between Stefanos Stefanou and Natasha Pilidou in the presence of DEFA President Nikos Castellani, which took place at the AKEL offices in Nicosia.
In his statements after the meeting, Mr. Stefanou reiterated the party's finding regarding the delay in the arrival of natural gas for power generation purposes in Cyprus, adding that there is also a long delay in the issue of preparing the infrastructure for the gas issue, as well as a delay in the process of liberalising the competitive market, which results, as he noted, "in higher electricity prices as Cyprus pays high costs for pollutants".
He noted, however, the necessity of the construction of the terminal in Vasilikos, expressing in essence the opposition's agreement with the government's consultations and the settlement it reached with the construction company.
"This project must go ahead
because it is of strategic importance for the country. Even if it is delayed, we have to move forward," Stephen Stefanou said.
Subsequently, the AKEL Secretary General asked the government to take relief measures to address the high cost of electricity, repeating the party's proposal to the minister "to abolish the fee for the promotion of RES that exists in electricity bills", while adding that "at the same time, we have also discussed the issue of the concessionary tender in relation to RES, which can at least in the medium term help to reduce the price of electricity as well".
For her part, Ms. Pileidou described the meeting as constructive in terms of the specific measures that the government is currently considering, adding that "both the opening of the electricity market and the issue of the arrival of natural gas are issues of the highest priority for the Ministry."
Regarding the arrival of natural gas in Cyprus, the minister said that "the timetable remains unchanged, that is, after the delay of nine months, which was already announced months ago, we remain committed to the timetable for completion by 31 July 2023", while regarding the opening of the electricity market, she said that "we remain committed to the target of October 2022".
Regarding the international price increase, Ms. Pileidou, the government's new bill for the renewable energy fund provides for a new way of calculating the consumption charge and includes subsidies for the installation of an electric hybrid plug-in vehicle charger along with the installation of a photovoltaic system in homes, while an upgraded notice of the "ExoEconomy" programme for businesses with a 25 million project is expected in March.
Finally, in response to a question from members of the press regarding a request for compensation for the consortium that has undertaken the construction of the Vasilikos gas terminal, the Minister said that "the additional amount will be decided and determined by the Central Claims and Claims Committee (CCC). Certainly the amount will not exceed 10% of the total cost."
Regarding the issue of additional claims, she stressed that "there is no question of not using the possibilities that our contract gives us," while regarding additional safeguards, Pileidou expressed the hope "that there will be some further improvements in the contract."
Source: CNA
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