PROTEAS Research Facility in Pentakomo was visited by the Minister of Energy, Commerce, and Industry, Mr. George Papanastasiou, accompanied by the Director of the Industrial and Technology Service, Mr. Christos Fotiadis, on Monday, July 1^st, 2024.

The Cyprus Institute will evaluate the study on the electrical interconnection between Cyprus and Crete (Great Sea Interconnector), stated the Minister of Energy, Commerce, and Industry, Mr. George Papanastasiou. The Minister also revealed that the Ministry will receive this study from the Implementing Agency on July 11.

Regarding PROTEAS, Mr. Papanastasiou emphasized that the Government will support the significant work carried out by the research laboratory of The Cyprus Institute, so that it becomes an internationally renowned research center.

Welcoming the Minister of Energy, Commerce, and Industry, CyI President, Prof. Stavros Malas, spoke of a unit which constitutes a European infrastructure. This model unit, Mr. Malas said, promotes the best model for Cyprus to be considered a regional reference center in the production of renewable energy sources and energy storage. And this, he explained, is particularly important since the strategic planning for the transition to green energy also involves energy storage.

The visit underscored the Institute’s significant contributions to energy research and innovation. Mr. Papanastasiou met with CyI President, Prof. Stavros Malas, and Institute Professor, President Emeritus and CREF CEO, Prof. Costas N. Papanicolas. The meeting was also attended by CREF Secretary, Mr. George Georghiou, Member of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Kyriakos Kokkinos, CyI Assistant Vice President of Policy and Internal Communications, Ms. Eleni Sophocleous, Head of PROTEAS Research Facility, Dr. Marios Georgiou, and CyI Research Scientist, Dr. Nestoras Fylaktos.

Prof. Malas presented the work, milestones and achievements of CyI, highlighting the importance of the Institute’s work in advancing energy research.

The delegation toured the state-of-the-art PROTEAS Facility, guided by Dr. Marios Georgiou. In addition, Dr. Georgiou provided an in-depth presentation on the capabilities and ongoing projects at PROTEAS, illustrating the Institute’s pivotal role in fostering cutting-edge energy solutions.

The visit concluded with a productive discussion, reflecting the shared commitment to driving forward the energy sector in Cyprus through collaborative research and innovation.