Greece’s €1B interconnection passes muster for full electrification

January 23, 2025, by Nadja Skopljak

Ariadne Interconnection, a subsidiary of Greek transmission system operator (TSO) Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO or ADMIE), has completed the site acceptance test (SAT) for the cable system for what it says is the largest electricity transmission project in Greece.

IPTO reported today, January 23, that the SAT for the cable system connecting Attica and Crete, from Koumoundouros converter station to Damasta converter station, had been completed.

Through this technical process, Ariadne verified that the 500 kV power cables, almost 400 kilometers in length for each pole, were successfully installed in their entirety, according to the technical specifications and requirements.

IPTO reported on December 23, 2024, that the electrical interconnection had been completed, with operations expected to begin in the spring of 2025.

According to the Greek TSO, the completion of the SAT marks an important step towards the full electrification of the interconnection in the coming period.

With a budget exceeding €1.1 billion, the cable link connects the Attica region on the Greek mainland to the Heraklion area in Crete, thanks to Nexans providing one 500 MW HVDC subsea cable system to form half of the bipole interconnection and Prysmian handling the other half of the interconnection and two subsea telecom links.

IPTO said the project ranks among the three deepest interconnections worldwide and with a capacity of 1,000 MW leads in power transfer capacity for island systems, ensuring energy security for Crete and reducing annual CO2 emissions by 500,000 tons.

A wholly owned principal subsidiary of Chinese state-owned electric utility corporation State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) purchased a 20% share in Ariadne Interconnection, thereby entering the interconnector.

ADMIE at the end of 2024 launched the tender for Greece’s second high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable system, a project that will integrate the Dodecanese Islands into the mainland high-voltage grid.