Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO), an ADMIE affiliate, has completed the construction of the Crete – Peloponnese interconnection.
The conclusion of the construction works follows the test electrification of all parts of the project, offshore and onshore, which was carried out over the last days.
The new 150kV AC interconnection is expected to enter trial operation in the following period, transferring the first electric loads to Crete island.
The Crete – Peloponnese interconnection, said to be the largest submarine AC cable in the world, consists of two 132 km submarine cables between Chania and Neapoli, Laconia, as well as 42 km underground cables in Crete and Peloponnese, with new substation in the Eastern Peloponnese and upgrade of the existing substation in Chania.
Additionally, the maximum cable laying depth of 1,000 meters places it at the top of the most technically demanding electrical interconnection projects globally, IPTO said.
Once the new interconnection is fully operational by the spring of 2021, one-third of Crete’s electricity needs will be met by the National Electricity Transmission System.
“With the small interconnection of Crete-Peloponnese, we are taking another step towards the shielding of Greece’s energy security. This is a project of the utmost importance for the whole country, but especially for the island of Crete where the energy demand during the summer months increases dramatically,” Greece’s Minister of Environment and Energy Kostas Skrekas said.
“By continuing the implementation of our island interconnections’ strategic plan with mainland Greece, citizens will benefit financially from the reductions in electricity prices through the PSOs while, at the same time, we manage to substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions, thus contributing to the protection of the environment.”