Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain
Malta and Cyprus are partnering with leading EU countries to increase clean energy capacity.
To many Europeans, Cyprus and Malta are remote Mediterranean paradises, but despite their sunny climates, the two countries are not taking full advantage of their abundant sunshine and clean energy potential.
One solution is for these small island states to team up with expert research partners from larger EU countries that are well ahead in the transition to a low-carbon economy and clean mobility.
Professor George Georgiou and his team from the FOSS Sustainable Energy Research Centre at the University of Cyprus have been working with researchers from the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), established experts in the fields of photovoltaics (PV) and smart energy grids, since 2016 as part of the EU-funded research initiative TwinPV.
Their shared goal was to explore ways in which Cyprus could make better use of solar photovoltaic energy to meet its growing electricity demand, and to promote research and innovation related to this renewable energy resource.
The research partners conducted numerous case studies focusing on the entire solar energy cycle, from PV cells and energy storage to smart power grids and energy forecasting. The overall goal was to find ways to increase the use of renewable energy on the island and end Cyprus' dependency on oil. This required addressing the unique challenges of a small island nation like Cyprus.
The power of the sun
Cyprus enjoys over 3,300 hours of sunshine per year, making it an ideal location to harness solar energy. However, the country still imports most of its energy in the form of fossil fuels. According to Eurostat, just 13.8% of Cyprus' energy in 2019 came from solar and wind energy, well below the European average of 19.7%. The obvious question is, why?
The problem is that renewable energy such as solar energy is unpredictable and can't keep up with a country's changing energy needs. Cyprus receives an average of 4 million tourists a year, most of whom arrive in a few months. The island's energy demand jumps from 300 megawatts in the spring to 1,200 megawatts.
Storing renewable energy remains complex and costly, making it difficult to use it as a primary energy source. As a result, a significant amount of surplus energy is lost rather than stored for later use. This is because connections to the continental European power grid are not yet established, making it difficult to export surplus energy.
“In other European countries, if you produce a lot of electricity, you can always send it to your neighbours, but Cyprus is an island and not connected to the European energy market,” Georgiou explained. “We can't transfer energy, and we can't store it because it's too costly.”
As a result, Cyprus relies primarily on three fuel oil-burning power plants, and electricity prices across the country are continually rising, putting much of the country at risk of energy poverty.
“Cyprus has an isolated power grid, so it's difficult to rely solely on solar energy,” Georgiou said.
Capacity building
Having the support of a more experienced partner is crucial, and Georghiou acknowledges that TwinPV’s collaboration has made a significant contribution to building Cyprus’ research capacity.
“We gained a lot of knowledge and expertise from our more advanced partners. This project helped us expand our capabilities and conduct relevant research on solar energy, smart grids and the integration of renewable energy sources,” said Georghiou.
One of the key achievements for Cyprus is the upgrade of the FOSS Research Centre into a PHAETHON Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Intelligent, Efficient and Sustainable Energy Solutions from 2024. This transformation, supported by the EU, will create a new regional CoE on sustainable energy.
The plan also links to plans to make the University of Cyprus campus completely “green,” Georgiou said. A large new solar power plant with battery storage is currently being built and will cover most of the university's electricity needs.
Overall, the use of distributed renewable energy is expanding in Cyprus, and the country aims to increase the share of renewable energy to 23% by 2030 as part of its National Energy and Climate Plan. The number of solar PV systems in Cyprus is expected to grow by 66% in 2023, and this trend is expected to continue. TwinPV finished in December 2018, but all researchers involved continue to work together.
“We have entered into a strategic partnership, creating a win-win situation for both sides,” Georgiou said.
E-Mobility Connectivity
In the western Mediterranean, Dr Brian Azzopardi, senior lecturer at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) and founding chair of the MCAST Energy Research Group, tells a similar story.
As part of another sister EU project, NEEMO, which ran for four years until 2023, Malta was able to significantly boost its research into electric vehicles and clean energy.
As part of this collaboration, MCAST also worked with the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), as well as the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and the Nicosia Development Agency (ANEL) in Cyprus.
“The objective is to strengthen and build research capacity on eMobility and its operations in Malta,” said Azzopardi, who coordinated the project.
NEEMO's experts looked into the specific challenges for eMobility in Malta, including physical limitations: the island is just 27 kilometers long, meaning short journey distances and a lack of charging points, especially during busy tourist periods.
NEEMO focuses on micromobility solutions and aims to improve transport access for all citizens, including those with limited mobility or access to public transport.
“While it doesn't solve all the problems of e-mobility, it has made an important contribution to ongoing research,” Azzopardi said.
This includes research work on so-called bidirectional power flows, where charging happens in both directions, and while the primary purpose is to charge the vehicle, electricity stored in the EV's battery can also flow to homes and the power grid. This could help stabilise the power grid, especially when restarting it after a blackout.
“This will be beneficial for residents as it will help improve conditions for electric vehicles, which are becoming increasingly popular here in Malta,” he said.
In parallel with the work of NEEMO's e-mobility researchers, the Maltese government has used EU funds to launch new subsidies for electric car purchases, and the island's transport authority reported last August that sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids had “significantly increased.”
Foundation for Research
As with TwinPV, international collaborations initiated through NEEMO have led to major advances in the island's research and innovation capabilities, particularly with the establishment of the Malta Foundation for Innovation and Research (FiR.mt), helping to bridge the gap between industry, research and academic communities, Azzopardi said.
“Before FiR was established, Malta did not have a research centre,” Azzopardi said. “It is definitely a success, especially in terms of building research capacity.”
Azzopardi also credits NEEMO with enabling Malta's MCAST University to join the European Automotive Research Partners Association (EARPA), which brings together Europe's most prominent independent R&D providers in the automotive sector.
“All of this is the legacy of NEEMO. This collaboration has sparked many initiatives,” he said. In return, he believes Malta offers a unique opportunity to key EU countries: “Malta is a manageable and accessible location. It offers the right environment for national research experiments that can then be rolled out across mainland Europe.”
“We have a lot of talented people in our country, but sometimes they need a little guidance,” Georgiou said.
Source: Horizon: EU Research and Innovation Magazine
This article was originally published in Horizon, the EU research and innovation magazine.
Source: Clean Energy Solutions Bring New Energy to Europe's Small Island States (August 29, 2024) Retrieved August 29, 2024 from https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-energy-solutions-europe-small-island.html
This document is subject to copyright. It may not be reproduced without written permission, except for fair dealing for the purposes of personal study or research. The content is provided for informational purposes only.
