High voltage cables to move from Dali to buffer zone

Works are on the cards to relocate the high-voltage cables from Dali to the buffer zone following years of complaints by the residents, the House environment committee said on Wednesday.

After a visit to Dali in Nicosia, the chairman of the committee Giorgos Loukaides described the situation as “unacceptable” as the cables pass through houses in residential areas, posing a danger to public health and “creating serious visual and noise pollution”.

The cables belong to the overhead transmission line of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) Alabras-Athalassas which passes through the residential areas of Pera Chorio, Yeri and Dali. The project was constructed in 1980.

“There is absolutely no problem in promoting the dismantling and relocation of the pylons,” Loukaides said.

The pylons will be reinstalled at a different location with their cables mainly passing through the buffer zone and some through agricultural plots, according to the committee’s chairman.

EAC has requested for the immediate announcement of the tender offer.

The decision for their relocation was taken in 2018, Loukaides said, but the defence ministry, despite initially being positive, later brought forward certain excuses to stop the move.

“I believe that after interventions that took place and not for any other reason, the pretext was found which until now prevented the movement of the pylons,” Loukaides said.

However, the defence ministry “was obliged” to lift its reservations.

Meanwhile, the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority (Cera) had suggested replacing all overhead cables with underground ones. This was supported by the defence ministry and Dali community, but was deemed unfeasible.

“Apart from the fact that it will take another five to ten years until the process is completed, it has already been studied and proved that it cannot be implemented for technical and security reasons that were explained to Cera by the EAC,” Loukaides added.