The ministers of energy of Israel, Cyprus and Greece took a major step March 8 toward bridging Asia and Europe, inking an agreement on connecting their national electricity grids through some 1,500-kilometer (932-mile) underwater Mediterranean cable. At a maximum depth of 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles), the 2,000 megawatt Euro-Asia Interconnector will be the deepest and longest submarine electricity cable in the world.
The so-called electricity highway is designed to provide energy security for each of the three countries, using clean energy sources. It will span some 310 kilometers (193 miles) between Israel and Cyprus, 900 kilometers (559 miles) between Cyprus and Crete, and an additional 310 kilometers between Crete and Ithaca in Greece. Construction of the 2.5 billion euro project will be co-financed by the European Union, which has designated it a Project of Common Interest, and the partner states. Completion is scheduled for 2024.
