Widespread power outage across Cyprus caused by communication failure

On Friday, August 21, 2026, a major power outage occurred across Cyprus shortly before 11:00 a.m., affecting consumers in all six districts. The incident triggered a massive response from the Fire Service, which reported a high volume of emergency calls from citizens trapped in elevators, particularly in the Nicosia and Limassol regions.

While initial reports from the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) suggested a failure in the generation system, the Cyprus Transmission System Operator (TSOC) later clarified that the outage was caused by a loss of communication between photovoltaic parks and the energy distribution control center. This technical failure led to incorrect data readings, triggering an automatic load-shedding mechanism that resulted in a loss of over 100 megawatts. EAC spokesperson Christina Papadopoulou confirmed that no physical damage occurred to any EAC generation units.

Power supply was fully restored shortly thereafter through alternative arrangements. Authorities are currently investigating the specific cause of the communication failure to prevent future occurrences, though officials have stated that energy demand remains covered for the rest of the day.