Millions for photovoltaics for army camps

Some €19 million in funding has been secured by the defence ministry via the European Union’s structural funds Thalia programme for the installation of photovoltaic systems in National Guard barracks as part of its environmental and energy policy.

The National Guard is one of the largest and most energy-intensive organisations in Cyprus.

The ministry in an announcement said that the total capacity of the systems to be installed is estimated at approximately 12MW.

The project is expected to start in early 2023 and be completed in 2027.

The full installation and operation of the systems is part of the national general goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and will contribute by 2.5 per cent to the capacity of photovoltaic systems that the Republic must install by 2030.

The implementation is part of the ministry’s general strategy to align National Guard activities with the implementation of policies and actions that respect and protect the environment as well as actions related to saving energy from the operations of its facilities.

More specifically, to date, the ecological management and ecological control systems (EMAS) have been implemented in six National Guard camps in accordance with Regulation 1221/2009/EC concerned with the proper waste management, energy saving and the reduction of environmental pollution.

Measures have also been implemented to reduce waste generation at military installations as well as measures for the proper management and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

In addition, the ministry, as per the cabinet’s decision, has entered into an agreement with the Electricity Authority to replace almost all energy-consuming external lighting lamps in National Guard lamps with LED type lamps.

Thus far 2,200 energy consuming lamps have been replaced in 14 National Guard camps and by the end of the year another 4,400 will be replaced as well.

The programmes for energy savings and specifically the installation of photovoltaics and the replacement of energy consuming lights will significantly contribute to promoting the governments policy for energy saving and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also having a significant benefit to the ministry’s budget.