CAIRO, June 25, 2018 (MENA) - Egypt's Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker lauded on Monday efforts to conclude studies to link Egypt with the European electricity grid through Cyprus. Such an important project will certainly serve Egypt's economic development plan, Shaker said while receiving the study from Nasos Ktorides, CEO of project developer EuroAfrica Interconnector. The step comes as part of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's efforts to turn Egypt into a regional energy hub and boost cooperation with Cyprus. Shaker called for assessing this study quickly to start necessary talks with the Cypriot side and carry out the project. EuroAfrica Interconnector is an interconnector between Greek, Cypriot, and Egypt power grids via submarine power cable. The Interconnector is an energy highway bridging Africa and Europe. It will have a capacity to transmit 2,000 megawatts of electricity in either direction. A cooperation agreement in this regard was signed in Cairo on February 6, 2017 between Ktorides and the Chairman of the Egyptian Electricity Holding Co. (EEHC) Gaber Desouky in presence of Egyptian Minister of Electricity Mohamed Shaker. The EuroAfrica Interconnector will link Egypt with Cypriot and Greek power grids through the island of Crete with high-voltage direct current submarine power cable of length around 1,707-kilometre (1,061 mi). Egypt will be connected with Cyprus with 498-kilometre (309 mi) long cable. Cyprus will be connected with the Greek island of Crete with 879-kilometre (546 mi) long cable. Crete will be connected with Attica in Greece with 330-kilometre (210 mi) long cable providing a connection to the pan-European electricity grid. The project is expected to take three years to be carried out.
