Nicosia: The Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry of Cyprus, Michael Damianos, has expressed his approval of the recent statements made by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis concerning the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI).
According to Cyprus News Agency, Damianos highlighted the significance of the French investment group Meridiam's involvement in the GSI project as a positive development, noting that the project's progress is on track. Prime Minister Mitsotakis had announced on social media that the GSI project is crucial for ending Cyprus' energy isolation, while also commending Meridiam's participation.
In response to inquiries regarding the issuance of a NAVTEX notice for seabed surveys related to the GSI cable route, Damianos indicated that the Greek government is expected to release the notice within weeks. He emphasized that such a move would facilitate the project's advancement. Additionally, Damianos mentioned that the European Investment Bank (EIB) is anticipated to deliver a due diligence report to the Independent Power Transmission Operator S.A. (IPTO) by the year's end, a key step in the project's implementation.
The minister underscored the importance of Meridiam's involvement in the GSI, both for the project's success and its geopolitical implications.
In a related matter, Damianos addressed recent power cuts in Cyprus, which were a result of technical issues in the electricity grid of the island's Turkish-occupied areas. He explained that, as part of a Confidence-Building Measure, the free areas are linked to the occupied areas at two points, meaning faults in one area can lead to power cuts in the other. A brief power outage occurred in the free areas due to a fault in the occupied regions, as reported by the Transmission System Operator Cyprus (TSOC).