The construction of the interconnection of the southern Cyclades was completed by IPTO, a project that integrates the islands of Santorini, Folegandros, Milos and Serifos into the mainland electricity system, via Attica.
This is the fourth and final phase of the broader Cyclades interconnection project, through which -from 2018 onwards- the islands of Paros, Mykonos, Syros, Naxos have also been directly interconnected to high voltage, and the submarine cable connections of Evia-Andros and Andros-Tinos have been upgraded.
As the relevant announcement notes, the interconnection of the southern Cyclades was carried out with 150 kV submarine and underground high-voltage cables, approximately 294 km long. The submarine cables were laid at a maximum depth of more than 500 meters below the sea surface while, within the framework of the project, IPTO constructed 4 fully digitized indoor-type substations (GIS), for connecting the electrical cables to the local distribution networks of the islands.
In Santorini, an automatic reactive power compensation system (SVC) was also installed, an infrastructure specially designed to maintain voltage stability and optimize the operation of the interconnected network in the southern Cyclades.
The electrical interconnection of the southern Cyclades, with a total budget of 385.7 million euros, is a project of strategic importance for the energy safeguarding of the islands, especially under conditions of high demand recorded during the summer months due to increased tourist traffic.
With the completion of the construction works, the project is now entering the final phase of tests and inspections. With the aim of ensuring the smooth operation of the existing interconnections, the new lines will be gradually integrated into the National Electricity Transmission System, starting with Santorini, also taking into account the current tourist season. The full energization of the entire interconnection will be completed within the next few months.
The electrical interconnection of the Cyclades ends the energy isolation of many islands, which are directly or indirectly connected to the mainland network, contributing substantially to sustainable development and the upgrading of the tourism product.
The shutdown of the polluting units that use oil for local power generation also offers significant environmental benefits for the Aegean ecosystem due to the reduction of CO2 emissions, as well as savings for consumers throughout the country, due to the easing of Public Service Obligation charges.
The project has been designated by Ministerial Decision as “of broader importance for the country's economy” and its construction is financed by EU funds, amounting to 164.5 million euros, through the Recovery and Resilience Facility, Greece 2.0.
The European Investment Bank is also participating in the financing of the project, through a direct loan agreement of 157 million euros concluded by IPTO, but also through a second loan agreement amounting to 108.44 million euros which was supported with resources from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, Greece 2.0.