Power to the People Traditional Cache

The small Mediterranean Island of Cyprus has been enjoying the benefits of electricity for over 100 years. The new source of energy was first introduced in 1903 with the installation, by the then British colonial government, of a power generator to serve the needs of the Commission in the capital, Lefkosia. This was followed shortly afterwards by the installation of a second generator at the Lefkosia General Hospital. A limited number of Cypriots soon started to use electricity when, in 1912, when the first electricity company, which operated a power station with generators, was formed in Lemesos under the initiative of the Stamatiou brothers, George Yiannopoulos and other entrepreneurs from Lemesos. The company was called Electrofotistiki Eteria Lemesou (The Limassol Electric Light Company). George Pierides, a powerful figure in the economic life of the capital, formed the Nicosia Electricity Company the following year, in 1913. Naturally, within the course of a few years, all other towns followed. In 1922 the Municipal Electricity Enterprises were formed in the towns of Ammochostos, Larnaka and Pafos, while in Kyrenia the town's municipality set up its electricity company in 1927. Gradually, a number of rural centers such as Morfou, Platres, Pedoulas, Lefkara, Xeros, Lefka and Lefkonico formed their own electric companies. However, electricity was virtually non-existent in the small villages and countryside until 1952, the year of the establishment of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus. By 1952 there were 28 companies serving 6 major towns and 22 smaller townships and villages. Sixteen of these were municipal or communal companies, some of which only supplied consumers with electricity during the evening. Also, existing legislation prohibited the privately owned companies from supplying electricity outside their specific municipality or village area. These companies faced serious economic problems due to the conservative Cyprus society, who were not in a position to appreciate the revolutionary changes that electricity was about to bring to the island. The people did not trust the new form of power, as interruptions at the time were long and frequent. And, of course, they did not rely on it - there were few electrical appliances and machines, a far cry from the host of modern appliances and machines found in today's factories and homes. As the name, 'Limassol Electric Light Company' indicates, the electricity produced was used only for lighting purposes. Just how reluctant Cypriots were to use electricity is shown by the fact that the “Limasol Electric Light Company” launched a promotional campaign in which it provided free electricity for a trial period, so that people could see for themselves the benefits of this new form of power.

Electricity Plants

The plants of the electric companies were usually situated at a central point of the town or village. The noise they created was deafening, causing great disturbance to the residents in the area. The majority of companies were using second-hand power generators which were constantly fraught with problems. Moreover, weather conditions greatly affected the operation of these machines. In Lemesos, for instance, humidity had a contracting effect on the belts of the machines causing them to snap. During the summer months a different problem was created by the heat which caused the belts to expand and become loose - the machines were constantly being stopped so that the belts could be tightened. Distribution networks were also in bad shape and quite inadequate to cover the needs of consumers. To understand the shape of the distribution system at that time it suffices to say that pine beams were sometimes used as electricity poles and that sometimes the poles were made of concrete.

Electricity Tariffs

Until 1952, the way that electricity consumption was charged was similar in all cases. This was a charge per unit, regardless of actual electricity use, load, characteristics, etc. Tariffs were decided upon by the Municipal enterprises. In the case of private electric companies the company in consultation with the municipality or the village authority agreed the tariffs, but this was always subject to government approval. Limited consumption on the one hand combined with increased operating and maintenance costs on the other, led to high prices, which in turn led to even lower consumption. For example, in 1949, the tariff per kWh in Lefkosia was 4,5 piastres, which was equal to the price of three loaves of bread, or a dozen eggs. In 2004 the tariff was about 6 cents, i.e. one tenth of the price of one loaf of bread, and equal to one egg - not one dozen.

The Need to Organize Electricity Generation

It had become more than evident that this state of affairs could not continue. In addition to the fact that this method of generation and distribution was uneconomical, it did not provide for the rapid expansion of electricity supply that was so necessary for the progress of the country. The only permanent solution to the problem was the radical decision to establish a centralized system for electricity generation and distribution, which would cover the needs of the whole island. At the end of the Second World War it was debated in England as to whether or not the electricity generation industry in Cyprus should come under State control. In 1944, Cyprus was still a British Colony and decisions of this magnitude were made in England.

Construction of a Power Station

Experts were called in to appraise the situation and, in 1946, submitted their study to the Government. The following year the then Governor of Cyprus appointed a five-member working group which was assigned the task of implementing the expert's proposal to establish a power station. On the 20th March 1950, work commenced on the construction of a power station in Dhekelia, near Larnaka on a site, which was chosen by the working group as the most suitable location. The first phase was financed by the Government, and was completed and put into operation on February 2nd 1953. The remaining phases were gradually completed and the station reached a total capacity of 84 MW. This station, together with the other power stations which were constructed later, use heavy fuel oil which the Authority buys directly from abroad or from the Cyprus Oil Refinery.

The Growth of the EAC

In the first two years the Authority was busy with expropriating the small companies in all towns. In addition to the construction of the Dhekelia Power Station, the main transmission lines were erected linking the station with the towns. Thus, the Dhekelia-Lefkosia and the Larnaka-Lemesos lines were put in to place. Gradually, all generators in the towns were decommissioned. However, for a number of years maintenance work was carried out on these and they were kept in good condition in order to be used as emergency generators. From then on the growth of the Electricity Authority proceeded at a faster rate and, in 1959-1960 following the Independence of the island, it continued growing very rapidly. The rate of progress is shown in the records, which state that in 1952 only 20,000 consumers were connected to the network. One year after the creation of the Authority this number rose to 38,000, and just prior to the Independence the number stood at about 80,000. There was also a corresponding increase in the number of towns and villages supplied with electricity. In 1952 the Authority had commenced supply to the towns of Lefkosia and Lemesos only. By 1954 the number of towns and villages connected to the network rose to eleven, and by 1960 this number had jumped to one hundred.

After Independence

Following the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960, the pace of the island's electrification was impressive. The number of consumers, which in 1960 was 89,000, rose to 120,000 by 1966. By 1973 this figure had risen to 183,000, in 1982 it was up to 201,000, in 1985 to 233,000, in 1988 to 262,000. In 1993 the number of consumers increased to 313,000, in 1998 the figure rose to 360,000, in 2002 to 394,000, in 2003 to 405,000 and in 2004 they had soared to 419,000. Even more impressive is the fact that the number of towns and villages linked to the EAC network, which was 100 in 1960, increased to 145 in 1962, then to 228 in 1964, to 322 in 1966, and to 406 in 1968. In 1972 it reached 527 covering all towns and villages of the island. This means that in just 12 years the Authority succeeded in supplying electricity to all the built-up areas of Cyprus and, therefore, dramatically raising the standard of living for all Cypriots.