An EU funded photovoltaic system worth pound 1.6 million has begun to operate at the New Nicosia Wastewater Treatment Plant in Mia Milia, in Nicosia district, boosting the use of renewable energy at infrastructure serving both communities of the island.
The project has implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). According to a European Commission press release, the system was connected to the electricity grid in August after around ten months of construction. With a capacity of 840 kW (AC) / 1,018 kWp and approximately 1,860 solar panels, it is expected to generate around 1.6 million kWh of renewable electricity annually.
This will cover about 15-18% of the plant’s annual electricity consumption, reducing its reliance on the grid and lowering operating costs. Around 30% of the plant’s energy needs are already met through biogas generated on site.
According to the press release, the photovoltaic system is also expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 830 tonnes a year.
Speaking at a ceremony marking the completion of the project on Monday, Gulia Bertezzolo, Head of the European Commission’s Cyprus Settlement Support Unit, said the project was important both for the environment and for cooperation between the two communities.
She noted that the plant treats wastewater from both sides of Nicosia through shared infrastructure, describing the project as an example of long-standing practical cooperation.
Jakhongir Khaydarov, Head of Office of UNDP in Cyprus, described the project as another milestone in the long history of cooperation between the two communities, saying that collaboration on shared challenges can help build trust and bring communities closer together.
President of the Nicosia District Local Government Organisation Constantinos Yiorkadjis described it as the first bicommunal solar power plant and ‘a practical example of how cooperation between the two communities can contribute to a greener, more sustainable future for the whole island’.
Representing the Turkish Cypriot side, Mehmet Harmanci, said Mia Milia had long been an area of cooperation between the two communities. He also said work was under way with the EU and UNDP on delivering treated water to the government-controlled areas.
The New Nicosia Wastewater Treatment Plant serves much of Nicosia on both sides of the Green Line and has for years operated as shared infrastructure between the two communities, the press release noted.