Connecting to Europe: Israel to lay world's longest subsea power cable 

The energy ministers of Israel, Cyprus and Greece signed a memorandum of understanding in Nicosia to lay the EuroAsia interconnector, which will be placed in the Mediterranean with a length of about 1,500 km and a maximum depth of 2,700 meters, and connect the electricity networks of the three countries 

Connecting to Europe: Israel to lay world's longest subsea power cable 

The MoU signing ceremony on Monday in Nicosia, Cyprus. Photo: Israeli Energy Ministry Spokespersons Office

The energy ministers of Israel, Cyprus and Greece signed yesterday in Nicosia a memorandum of understanding on laying an undersea power cable in the Mediterranean with a length of about 1,500 km and a maximum depth of 2,700 meters. When the EuroAsia interconnector is completed, it will be the longest and deepest power cable in the world, connect the electricity networks of Israel, Cyprus and Greece, and have a capacity of 1,000 to 2,000 megawatts.  

The cable will be laid in three sections of the Mediterranean: about 310km between Israel and Cyprus, about 900km between Cyprus and Crete, and about 310km between Crete and Attika in Greece. The cable to be placed at a maximum depth of 2,700 meters is expected to be completed by 2024. The cost of the initiative is estimated at about 3 billion shekels, and the European Union, which recognized the initiative as a Project of Common Interest, will finance parts of it.    

In the memorandum of understanding, the three ministers – Israel's Yuval Steinitz, Cyprus's Natasa Pilides and Greece's Kostas Skrekas – agreed to work together to promote the project and ensure its coordination, development and implementation. In addition, the ministers agreed to cooperate on environmental protection and promotion of renewable energies in accordance with the Paris Agreement, and to promote cooperation and transfer of professional information in the field of energy in general and preparation of cyber in particular.     

"This is great news for the citizens of Israel," said Minister of Energy Dr. Yuval Steinitz. "The Euro-Asia Interconnector underwater power cable will allow us to receive electricity backing from the power grids of the European continent in times of emergency and more importantly will also support our ability to significantly increase reliance on solar power generation, and help us meet the government's 2030 solar energy targets."