Tender opens for Greece’s second HVDC cable system

Greece’s transmission system operator (TSO) Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO or ADMIE) has launched the tender for the country’s second high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable system, a project that will integrate the Dodecanese Islands into the mainland high-voltage grid.

The tender for the Corinth-Kos electrical interconnection covers the design, supply and installation of HVDC cable systems and two converter stations, which will be built at both ends of the interconnection. 

This second Greek HVDC cable system, following the Crete-Attica interconnection, will be 380 kilometers long and will have a transmission capacity of 1 GW. With a total budget of €1.42 billion, the project will enable the gradual phase-out of polluting oil-fired plants, enhance the security of energy supply, and support the green transition of the Greek islands, IPTO said.

The budget for the cable section of the interconnection is €630 million and €789.1 million for the converter stations. The duration of the construction phase is expected to be 36 months from the signing of the contract. 

Six autonomous electrical systems of the Dodecanese Islands – Karpathos, Rhodes, Symi, Kalymnos, Patmos and Arkia – will then be connected via the Corinth-Kos interconnection.

The reduction in utility costs for consumers is estimated to be up to €3.6 billion during the period 2029-2053. The project has been selected for funding from the Island Decarbonisation Fund.

“The Corinth-Kos interconnection will, for the first time, connect the Dodecanese with the continental high-voltage system, paving the way for the full utilization of the onshore and offshore renewable potential of dozens of islands,” said ADMIE’s President and CEO Manos Manousakis.

“The new round of inter-island interconnections in the Dodecanese and the NE Aegean has already opened with the soon-to-be-completed tender for AC submarine cables. As our ten-year investment plan foresees, by 2030 all the country’s major islands will now be interconnected with the mainland, through modern and durable electrical infrastructure.”