IPTO Head: Both We, Greek Govt Knew GSI Wouldn’t be Easy

The head of Greece’s Independent Power Transmission Operator S.A. (IPTO or ADMIE) on Tuesday reiterated that an ambitious power cable connecting Cyprus with Greece – part of the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) project – is of “vital importance”, especially for the former, a large island in the east Mediterranean that remains “isolated” in terms of energy connections.

Speaking at a conference in Athens organized by the Kyklos Ideon (Circle of Ideas) think tank, IPTO Managing Director Manousos Manousakis noted that the island republic is the last EU country that’s not connected to the European power grid.

In the face of reported delays, concerns over shared costs – mostly aired over the past summer by the Cypriot side – and “proverbial” saber-rattling and belligerence on the part of Turkey, which claims that the proposed undersea cable passes through its arbitrarily declared EEZ, Manousakis underlined:

“I must say that from the time we undertook the project, both we and the Greek government knew very well that it would not be a walk in the park. We knew very well that Turkey would not congratulate us for the fact that we want to connect Cyprus with the European (power) network, but specifically (first) with Greece,” he said.

Manousakis, speaking to ot.gr journalist Christos Kolonas, reminded that 160 kilometers of undersea cable have already been laid and are ready for use, while most seabed research for the ambitious project in Greek and Cypriot waters has been completed.

Asked about where the project’s progress is today, he merely replied that “foreign policy is above our responsibility”.

He also said the specific project is significant for Israel, as it will first connect the latter with the island republic – given that the Mideast country remains mostly isolated from extra-national power networks.

For Israel, this project is a matter of adequacy in electricity, he emphasized, meaning that the country needs an additional source, “so that in periods when it has an extraordinary reduction in power available for its consumption it will have an alternative energy source.”

The president of IPTO also expressed an opinion that the “Greek government is working intensively towards continuing this project … to strengthen Greece’s geopolitical role in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region…I am certain that the Greek government will protect IPTO,” he added.

Source: tovima.com