Cyprus Mail
BusinessCyprusEnergyInternational

Cyprus, Greece and Israel will help free EU from energy dependence, Von der Leyen says

file photo: european commission college meeting in brussels

Tapping into Israel’s vast renewable sources of energy will help reduce the EU’s dependence on Russia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during her visit to Israel, highlighting the importance of Cyprus and Greece in securing energy supply.

According to a press release by the EuroAsia Interconnector, the Commission’s President said that this will be achieved through the EuroAsia Interconnector electricity link, co-funded by the EU, and a hydrogen-natural gas pipeline in the eastern Mediterranean.

During the Honorary Doctorate degree ceremony at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev on Tuesday, von der Leyen said, “we are now exploring ways to step up our energy cooperation with Israel. We have two major projects in preparation: the world’s longest and deepest underwater power cable, connecting Israel with Cyprus and Greece. This will, over time, be electrification by renewable energies. That is where the investment has to go into.”

It is noted that in January, the European Union earmarked 657 million euros for the construction of the 2,000-megawatt EuroAsia Interconnector subsea electricity cable that will link the power grids of Israel, Cyprus and Greece, utilising funds from the ‘Connecting Europe Facility’.

The EuroAsia Interconnector is a Project of Common Interest and included in the Union list of PCI infrastructures since 2013.

According to the press release, von der Leyen said Israel has “an abundance of these natural resources to produce renewable energy. And the second is a natural gas and clean hydrogen pipeline in the Eastern Mediterranean. This is an investment in both Europe’s and Israel’s energy security. And this infrastructure will also contribute to decarbonising our energy mix”.

“It is a great example of democracies sticking together not only in times of conflict but mostly to fight this huge enemy we have, and that is climate change. This is the big looming crisis in the background”.

Concluding, she noted according to the press release that we have to take all our knowledge, all our engineering and entrepreneurial spirit that we have to innovate, in order to bring about the innovative technologies, to work to fight climate change, to make this world a better place, and to hand it over to our children with still a spring, a summer, a fall and a winter to experience.

Follow the Cyprus Mail on Google News

Related Posts

‘Over 60% of road death in Cyprus occur on urban roads’

Jonathan Shkurko

Economic climate in Cyprus declines for second consecutive month

Kyriacos Nicolaou

Cyprus state budget deficit rose by €80 million in 2023

Kyriacos Nicolaou

Cypriot ministers visit DP World headquarters — pledge to elevate Limassol port further

Kyriacos Nicolaou

F1 stars used IAME power on their way to the top

Press Release

Fire at Omonia clubhouse under investigation

Iole Damaskinos