Cyprus urged to weigh GSI strategy as fuel price growth slows

Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus should assess the Great Sea Interconnector beyond its immediate public cost and consider its potential to end the island’s electrical isolation, energy systems expert Andreas Poullikkas said. Separately, Eurostat data showed annual fuel price growth in Cyprus slowed to 9.9 per cent in July 2026.

Great Sea Interconnector

Poullikkas, a professor of energy systems at Frederick University and former chairman of the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority, said debate over the Cyprus-Greece Great Sea Interconnector had focused heavily on the financial contribution required from the Republic.

He said scrutiny of a major investment was justified, but argued that cost alone could not determine the project’s strategic value.

“The real question Cyprus should be asking is much bigger. What kind of energy infrastructure do we want to hand over to the next generations of Cyprus?” Poullikkas said.

He said Cyprus needed to decide whether to remain electrically isolated or use its geographical position to develop into an energy hub for the Eastern Mediterranean.

Fuel prices

Prices for fuels and lubricants for personal transport in Cyprus rose by 9.9 per cent year-on-year in July 2026, down from annual increases of 18.6 per cent in June and 20.5 per cent in May, according to Eurostat.

Despite the slowdown, fuel prices remained higher than a year earlier. Cyprus recorded one of the more moderate annual increases in the European Union.

Across the EU, prices for fuels and lubricants for personal transport increased by 16.9 per cent in July compared with July 2025, following annual rises of 20.7 per cent in May and 13.7 per cent in June. Fuel prices were higher year-on-year in 25 of the bloc’s 27 member states in July.