National Guard to get €19m worth of PVs and storage systems

An EU-funded €19 million project to install 12MWp capacity photovoltaics and energy storage systems at 54 defence ministry and National Guard units within three years was signed on Wednesday.

The contract between the defence ministry and the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) is expected to contribute by around 2.5 per cent to meeting the republic’s goals in renewable energy sources, set out in the 2021-2030 national energy and climate plan.

The photovoltaics and storage systems are part of the president’s programme, prioritising clean energy.

The defence ministry said the project’s budget would be covered in full by EU structural funds, specifically Thalia 2021-2027, from which the ministry had secured €19 million for the three-year implementation course.

It is expected that, beyond producing clean energy and contributing significantly to reducing the country’s carbon footprint, the project will also save money on the defence ministry’s budget by reducing electricity consumption at National Guard establishments by up to €4 million per year.

“The project will begin immediately and is expected to be completed before the end of 2027,” said defence ministry permanent secretary Andreas Louca.

Louca said such systems could lead to the partial or even full independence of some military units from the city network, thus improving the National Guard’s operational readiness.

The second phase of the project will be signed in a few months, providing for the replacement of 4,400 bulbs with LEDs, the cost of which will be undertaken in full by the EAC.