Cyprus and Lebanon to begin study on subsea electricity link
Cyprus and Lebanon will hold their first technical meeting on a World Bank-backed feasibility study for a proposed subsea electricity interconnection.
Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus and Lebanon will on Wednesday hold their first technical meeting on a World Bank-financed feasibility study for a proposed subsea electricity interconnection, CyBC reported. The World Bank will participate in the meeting.
Feasibility study
Lebanese Energy and Water Minister Joe Saddi said in a television interview in Beirut that Cyprus proposed selling electricity to Lebanon during Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s visit to the island several months ago.
Saddi later visited Cyprus, after which the two governments agreed with the World Bank to finance a study into the proposed interconnection.
In July, Energy Minister Michael Damianos and Saddi agreed on the terms of reference for the study and the establishment of a joint technical committee.
The first phase will examine electricity supply and demand and the economic viability of different interconnection scenarios. A detailed technical and economic assessment will be conducted only if the initial findings are positive.
The World Bank-funded study will be carried out in two phases. If the initial assessment is positive, a second and more detailed technical and economic study will assess the conditions required to implement the project.
Regional connectivity
Both governments have described the agreement as “an important milestone in the cooperation between the two countries”, aimed at exploring opportunities to strengthen regional energy connectivity, enhance energy security and promote sustainable economic development in the eastern Mediterranean.
According to Saddi, a positive assessment could allow Lebanon to connect not only to Cyprus but also to the European electricity grid through the planned Cyprus-Greece electricity interconnection.
Great Sea Interconnector
Meanwhile, President Nikos Christodoulides said in an interview with Plus TV that Cyprus will pay €25 million towards the Great Sea Interconnector once a Navtex is issued for the resumption of survey work.
He said the arrangement had been agreed with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
This news item was generated automatically by Cyprus Inform from publicly available materials. Report an error →