Wind energy in Cyprus – First wind farm inaugurated

The €170 million wind farm was completed on time and on budget. The 82MW project is the island’s first in the field of wind energy development. The wind power plant, located on the west coast, 30 km from Paphos, has a capacity of 82 MW, representing almost 8% of country’s installed capacity. Three other wind farm plants are under development, totaling 93 MW.
 
The President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias attended the inauguration of the country’s first wind farm. The wind power plant was built in Orites, about 30 km from Paphos, and consists of 41, 2 MW wind turbines. It was developed by a Cypriot-British joint venture and the investment amounted to 170 million euros, of which 50% was provided by the European Investment Bank. The wind farm plant’s 82 MW account for almost 8% of the island’s total installed capacity.

Under the national action plan for the development of renewable energy, recently submitted by Cyprus to the European Commission, 300 MW of wind energy will be installed by 2020. It is precisely to encourage this achievement that the government launched a policy of subventions, which will also support the Orites plant for 20 years.

The joint venture that developed the Orites plant has already announced that it is planning to increase the capacity of the facility, while three other wind farms are underway in Cyprus, specifically in Klavida Village (42 MW), Alexigros (31.5 MW ) and Aghia Anna (20 MW).

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