Great Sea Interconnector
The Great Sea Interconnector, formerly known as the EuroAsia Interconnector is a planned HVDC interconnector between the Greek, Cypriot, and Israeli power grids via the world's longest submarine power cable, with a length of from Israel to Cyprus and from Cyprus to Greece for a total of.
Connecting Kofinou, Cyprus to Hadera, Israel and Korakias, Crete, Greece, the EuroAsia Interconnector is a major Project of Common Interest of the European Union and a priority Electricity Highway Interconnector Project as an energy highway bridging Asia and Europe.
On 12 May 2017, the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met the State Grid Corporation of China Chairman Shu Yinbiao in Beijing, and CEO of EuroAsia Interconnector Nasos Ktorides supported the timely implementation of the EuroAsia Interconnector. On December 12, 2017 transmission system operator Elia announced the conclusion of a strategic alliance agreement for the development and implementation of the 2,000 MW interconnector.
On 8 March 2021, Cyprus, Greece and Israel signed an initial agreement to build the world's largest and deepest submarine power cable that will connect the three Mediterranean countries' power grids.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen visited Cyprus on 8 July 2021 and officially presented EU approval for the Cyprus plan to spend €1.2 billion under the EU Recovery and Resilience Plan.
EuroAsia Interconnector got €100 million funding from EU Recovery and Resilience Plan.
On 26 January 2022, the European Commission approved €657 million under the Connecting Europe Facility for EuroAsia Interconnector.
The inauguration ceremony on the start of the construction works were held on October 14, 2022, at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia.
News about the suspension of the project rose in March 2025 following Turkey's objections. Still in August 2025 the cabinet of ministers of the Cypriot government discussed the issue of the yearly compensation of 25 million euros following the decision of the Cypriot Energy Regulatory Authority implying that the project is still under consideration by the Cypriot government despite the objections of Turkey.
Energy in Cyprus, Greece and Israel
Energy in Cyprus
as an island is totally isolated from EU energy links and electricity networks and remains the most energy dependent country in the European Union. Cyprus is completely isolated from EU energy interconnections. About 95% of the primary energy use was imported in 2015. Oil and petroleum products represent around 92% of the gross energy consumption. Cyprus has no oil refineries. As a result of high import cost of petroleum products the price of electricity is one of the highest in the European Union. Renewable energy share has reached 8% and according to national targets should reach 13% by 2020. Recently Cyprus announced discovery of the Aphrodite gas field with significant amounts of natural gas resources in its exclusive economic zone, and additional gas prospects are being explored. Due to regional turmoil in the Eastern Mediterranean region and the fact that 1/3 of Cyprus is unlawfully occupied, for energy security it needs a reliable and robust energy infrastructure. The EuroAsia Interconnector will connect Cyprus to the European electricity grid as the last EU member fully isolated from energy interconnections.Energy in Israel
's relationship with neighbors links politics and diplomacy with energy supply and security. Until recently domestic Israeli primary energy production was small. The country was dependent on imports of oil and coal, so that in 2012 only 13% of its energy balance was supplied from domestic resources. In 2010, the Leviathan gas field was discovered off the coast of Israel. This gas field represents a strategic change enabling Israel not only to be energy independent, but also to become an energy exporter, as the amount of gas discovered exceeds Israeli demands for at least 50 years. Unlike oil, gas is more difficult to ship and is not sold on spot markets, being priced uniquely for each deal. One reliable way for Israel to export natural gas could be in form of electricity using the Interconnector.The EuroAsia Interconnector is planned to link up with both Israel and its settlements in the West Bank, and has led to Siemens, which has been announced as the preferred bidder for part of the system, becoming a target of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
Energy in Greece
's location at the crossroads of East and West and geographical connection to rest of Europe enables interconnection and energy flow from the Eastern Mediterranean to Europe. Greece is a highly energy-dependent country. Renewable energy share has reached 22%. Crete is an energy isolated island and it is the largest isolated power system in Greece. Like all isolated island systems the cost of electricity production is very high due to transportation costs of imported fuel and high operational costs of mainly outdated power generating units. Connected systems can have much lower costs of electricity by using electricity from distant power stations where electricity production costs are much lower. Crete is electrically isolated from mainland Greece and the Hellenic Republic subsidises the difference in the Crete electricity costs of around €300 million per year.Eastern Mediterranean Hydrocarbon Findings
The Levantine Sea is bounded by Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Egypt. Cyprus is the largest island in the Levantine Sea and it is located in the middle of it. Many countries in the region are in disputes with neighbors.The seafloor of the Eastern Mediterranean Basin is dotted with mud volcanoes which spew gas and occasionally oil into the benthic zone. Geologically it consists of sediment columns up to 12 km thick capped by evaporites. These geological and oceanographic facts led to speculation that Levantine sea contains large gas and oil deposits trapped in evaporites. Recently, energy company Eni discovered the Zohr gas field, the largest known gas field in the Mediterranean. The Zohr gas field holds around of gas. It is estimated that in the Levant Basin there are around of undiscovered gas resources. Additionally, they estimated that there could be up to 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil.
Israeli and Cypriot gas fields
The Aphrodite gas field is Cyprus's offshore gas field at the exploratory drilling block 12 in the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone. It is estimated that block 12 holds of natural gas. Exploration is continuing in other blocks in the Cyprus EEZ. The Calypso gas field in block 6 was found in 2018, and it is estimated that it holds of gas.The first significant Israeli gas discovery was in the Mari-B field in 2000. The Mari-B field produced gas until 2013, covering 40% of Israeli natural gas demand. Offshore Tamar gas field of was discovered in 2009, with commercial production starting in 2013. It covers nearly all industrial needs and gas from Tamar field generates over half of the country's electricity. In 2010, the Leviathan gas field was discovered off the coast of Israel. It is estimated the field contains around of
natural gas.
Infrastructure
The EuroAsia Interconnector will link Israel with Cypriot and Greek power grids with high-voltage direct current submarine power cable of length around.It will have a capacity to transmit 2,000 megawatts of electricity in either direction.
The cable will link Israel with Cyprus. Cyprus will be connected with the Greek island of Crete with long cable. The laying depth of the cable will be up to under sea level in some areas between Crete and Cyprus. It will be conducted in two stages.
In the first stage it will have 1000 MW capacity. It is expected to cost €2.5 billion in the first stage. Interconnection between Hadera in Israel and Kofinou on Cyprus will be finished in December 2025. The longer interconnection between Kofinou on Cyprus and Korakias on Crete will be delivered in December 2025.
Configuration for Stage 1
The Interconnector will provide an important electricity highway in Southeastern EU and ends the electricity energy isolation of Cyprus and Crete, interconnecting EU and Israel. The Interconnector's main components are:- 3 converter stations in bipolar arrangements with multiterminal operation
- Subsea and land high-voltage direct current cables that will interconnect converter stations in Greece, Cyprus and Israel. Cables will run in pairs and each cable will be with power rating of 500 MW and voltage of 500kV.
- Sea electrodes of 1000A and medium voltage direct current cables connecting them to converter stations
- Alternating current switchgear connecting converter stations to the local electricity grid at four different locations
Pairs of cables will connect all converter stations. A converter station converts direct current to and from alternating current. It can both send and receive power via the cable and to or from the grid. Converter stations are bipolar and could run bi-directionally enabling import or export of electricity depending on demand. Cables will run along bottom of the sea and on land will run underground. Sea electrodes are used in case of cable or converter station faults. Sea electrodes are placed at seabed several kilometers from shore and they are connected to converter stations. Converter stations will be of Voltage Source Converter type. Each converter station will be rated to 1000 MW and made of two converter bridges of 500 MW.
Submarine power cables will be of the extruded type.