FINAL BUILDING PERMIT FOR EUROAFRICA INTERCONNECTOR POWER STATION

 Filenews 19 August 2020 

The Republic of Cyprus has issued the final building permit for the EuroAfrica Interconnector power station.

According to an announcement, the cost of constructing the first phase of the 1000MW Egypt-Cyprus interconnection amounts to 1.0 billion euros, with significant socio-economic benefits for the countries involved in the project. The Cyprus-Greece interconnection will be operational in December 2023 and the Egypt-Cyprus electricity interconnection will also be operational by December 2023.

EuroAfrica Interconnector is the official operator of the Egypt-Cyprus electrical interconnection.

According to the notice, the granting of the relevant licence lights the green light for the construction of an RVDC conversion plant, for which Siemens has been selected as the preferred manufacturer.

As early as November 2019, the competent Department of Urban Planning and Housing of the Republic of Cyprus has approved the planning permission for the construction projects for the LVDC conversion station with a maximum transfer capacity of 2,000 megawatts, as well as the access points of the undersea cable connecting the electricity networks of Cyprus and Egypt with Greece (Crete) and the European Union.

In June 2019, the land concession contract for the construction of the LVDC conversion plant in Cyprus was signed at the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry. The duration of the contract is 33 years, with the Project Implementation Body having the right to renew the contract for another two periods of 33 years, while the necessary environmental, technical and other studies have already been carried out, while the necessary permits have been secured by the Cypriot authorities.

EuroAfrica Interconnector is the 'electric corridor' that connects Egypt with Europe, via Cyprus, creating an energy hub for Africa and the Arab world.

"We express our warm thanks to the Government of Egypt and for the personal support of the S.A. President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Mr. Abdel Fatah El Sisi," the statement concludes.

Source: eyenews / CYPE