The critical role of international interconnections for the energy transition of Greece and Europe were highlighted at the 2nd European Regional Dialogue on the Middle East and North Africa (MEFED 2024), held in Thessaloniki, with the participation of the president and CEO of the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) Manos Manousakis and the Vice President and General Manager of Technology, System Development and Strategy Ioannis Margaris.
“In Greece’s energy mix, clean energy has already reached 60% and we now have cuts in electricity generation from RES. We also have very ambitious plans to develop offshore wind farms, which means there will be a stronger need for exports. That is why we are planning a series of new international connections,” Manousakis underlined.
Studies on the interconnection with Saudi Arabia
With regard to the Eastern Mediterranean, he referred to the under construction Greece-Cyprus-Israel Great Sea Interconnector which, as he said, “will enable us to export as well as import energy.”
“Last week we decided to prepare the final studies for the electrical interconnection with Saudi Arabia, which will proceed in the coming months,” he added. “There is, of course, the Greece-Egypt interconnection, a private project implemented by the Copelouzos Group, which we support from a technical point of view.”
Manousakis pointed out that these projects can make it possible to transfer huge amounts of “green” energy from the Mediterranean to central Europe, where the major consumption centers are located. “This will be mutually beneficial for all economies involved,” he noted.
