Dhekelia, Cyprus. A turbine at the Dhekelia power station malfunctioned twice on Tuesday after being repaired and returned to service, according to information obtained by the Cyprus Mail. The first failure caused a power outage in several areas lasting less than 20 minutes.
Second malfunction
The turbine broke down again hours after it had been repaired and put back online. The second malfunction did not affect the grid or cause any power outages, as the station was operating with reserve capacity.
Morning outage
The same turbine stopped operating earlier on Tuesday. Technicians quickly installed and activated a backup machine, restoring electricity supply after the brief outage.
The faulty turbine was taken for repairs and returned to Dhekelia later the same day before failing again.
Ageing equipment
Across Cyprus power stations, between six and 20 turbine breakdowns typically occur each year because of wear and tear.
The Dhekelia plant is particularly susceptible to such failures because it normally operates with 40-year-old steam turbines, which technicians refer to as “old grannies”.
The Electricity Authority of Cyprus has backup turbines available for emergencies.
