FINAL BUILDING PERMIT ISSUED FOR EGYPT-CYPRUS ELECTRICITY INTERCONNECTION STATION
in-cyprus 3 September 2020 - by Maria Bitar
The Republic of Cyprus has issued the final building permit for the Egypt-Cyprus electricity interconnection EuroAfrica Interconnector.
EuroAfrica Interconnector is the official project developer of the Egypt-Cyprus electricity interconnection.
According to a press release by the EuroAfrica Interconnector, the issue of the relevant permit provides the green light for the construction of the HVDC converter station, for which Siemens has been chosen as the preferred constructor.
“EuroAfrica Interconnector will be the ‘electricity highway’ that will interconnect Egypt with Europe, through Cyprus, and create an energy hub for Africa and the Arab world”, it adds.
It is recalled that already, the Planning and Housing Bureau of the Republic of Cyprus approved, since November 2019, the planning permit for the HVDC converter station with a capacity of 2,000 MW, as well as the landing points of the subsea cable that connects the electricity networks of Cyprus and Egypt with Greece through Crete and the EU.
In June 2019, the 33-year land lease agreement was signed at the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry for the construction of the HVDC converter station in Cyprus, with the project developer having the option to renew the lease for two more periods of 33 years each.
The necessary environmental, technical and other studies have already been completed and the relevant permits received from the Cypriot authorities.
The construction cost for the first phase of the Egypt-Cyprus interconnection with a transmission capacity of Stage 1 of 1,000 megawatts is estimated at €1 billion, with significant social and economic benefits for all countries involved.
The Cyprus-Crete interconnection will be commissioned by December 2023 and parallel to this, the Egypt-Cyprus electricity interconnector will be completed.
“We express our warm thanks to the Government of Egypt and for the personal support of H.E. the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Mr. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi”, the press release concludes.
(CNA)