Energy, Commerce and Industry Minister Michael Damianou has said that technologies being tested at the Cyprus Institute’s PROTEAS Facility could in future help address Cyprus’ energy storage needs, while Cyprus Institute President Prof. Stavros Malas said some of the solutions under development are already technologically mature.
Damianos toured the research facility in Pentakomo on 11 May, where he was briefed on projects involving renewable energy sources and energy storage technologies. He described the work being carried out as “excellent” and stressed the importance of research and innovation for Cyprus.
Asked whether the technologies developed at PROTEAS could provide solutions for energy storage, Damianos said researchers had presented approaches “somewhat different from traditional ideas involving batteries”.
He noted that batteries can help cover demand for limited periods after sunset, particularly during peak demand in the late afternoon, while the solutions under study at PROTEAS focus on longer-duration overnight energy storage. He added that substantial investment, particularly from the private sector, would be required before such technologies could be deployed.
For his part, Malas said the technologies being tested at PROTEAS represent “a miniature version of what Cyprus should be”, noting that the island’s geographical isolation makes it necessary to explore not only green energy production but also long-term green energy storage solutions.
He said several technologies being tested at the facility are already at an advanced stage and have been implemented in countries including Saudi Arabia, China, Israel and states in North Africa, stressing that Cyprus must accelerate efforts to develop energy storage capacity.
Malas added that green energy technologies are also linked to water production, noting that combined systems for energy, heat and desalinated water production are already being developed at the Pentakomo facility.
According to Malas, a new unit using solar energy for desalinated water production intended for agricultural use is expected to become operational soon. He said funding had already been secured for the project, which he described as part of a broader ecosystem aimed at sustainable energy production, energy storage and support for agriculture.
Malas also said the Cyprus Institute works closely with companies developing technologies at an advanced stage, adding that applied research centres can play a key role in helping products reach the market by supporting cooperation between research institutions and industry.
(Source: CNA)
