A turbine at the Dhekelia power station that malfunctioned early on Tuesday, but which was later repaired and put back online, broke down for a second time later in the day, the Cyprus Mail has learned.

The second glitch did not impact the grid or cause any power outage, as the power station was meanwhile operating with reserves.

In the morning, the same turbine had stopped working, causing a power outage in various areas that lasted less than 20 minutes as technicians quickly installed and turned on a back-up machine.

The faulty turbine had meanwhile been taken for repairs, and delivered back to Dhekelia on the same day. But hours after it was turned back on, it broke down again.

In a typical year, anywhere from six to 20 instances of turbine breakdowns happen across the island’s power stations due to wear and tear of the machines.

The Dhekelia plant is particularly susceptible as it runs by default on 40-year-old steam turbines. Technicians have taken to calling them ‘old grannies’.

The Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) has back-up turbines in case of emergency.