The Transmission System Operator (TSO) on Thursday said it is working with the Electricity Authority of Cyprus to push forward, where possible, applications by businesses wanting to set up energy storage facilities.

In a statement, the TSO said that 18 applications for permits for energy storage systems are currently under review.

The 18 applications concern a combined output of 416 megawatts (MW) and 1,485 megawatt hours (MWh) of units of energy.

Six of these applications ran into problems. Because of the large size of the energy storage premises, the TSO deemed that for technical reasons a transmission substation would also need to be established – something which the applicants did not want due to the limited physical space allocated to them.

Despite this, the TSO said, it is in talks with the Electricity Authority of Cyprus to see if these applicants may nevertheless be granted a permit, but for lower power outputs than initially requested.

For the other 12 applications, the TSO said these stand a better chance of being granted permits to be connected to the medium-voltage system.

Separately, the TSO has granted preliminary approval, for connection to the medium-voltage system, to eight applicants wanting to establish energy storage systems. These concern a combined 231 MW and 570 MHh.

In the interests of transparency, the TSO said, it has published on its website the full list of applications filed for energy storage systems. The list is available here.

The TSO is responsible for grid operation and maintenance, balancing supply and demand, and ensuring system security and reliability.