Successfully started on Saturday (24.5.2025) the operation of electrical interface Attica – Crete, with a continuous electricity transfer of electricity through the work made by Ariadne Interconnection, a subsidiary of ADME. The test period is expected to last in the summer months.
It is a historic day for the country’s electricity transfer system and ADMIE, as Greece now has an electricity interconnection of high voltage (HVDC) and thanks to this Crete is a comprehensive part of the national electric system.
It is recalled that Crete was interconnected in 2021 with the Peloponnese, with AC technology. Thus, the operation of the second interconnection is a milestone for Crete, since in combination with the Peloponnese interconnection, the electrical isolation of the largest Greek island is completely removed, making the energy hub with very significant environmental and economic benefits for the country and local community.
It is about A 1 GW power project and a budget of 1.1 billion eurosusing cutting -edge VSC technology at the conversion stations and with 500 kV submarine cables in depths of up to 1,200 meters, which rank it in the deepest interconnections in the world.
The Crete -Attica electric interconnection consists of many large sub -projects with some of the largest companies in the field such as Siemens, TERNA, NEXANS, Prysmian, NKT and Greek cables.
It was completed in a record time of just 4.5 years, when similar projects of European managers needed more than 7 years. The implementation of the project, in addition to a high degree of technical difficulty, faced adverse circumstances that coincided with its construction phase, such as the pandemic and the serious disorders it caused in the global supply chain.
Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou said: “We are inaugurating a new era on the energy map of Greece. The operation of the Attica – Crete electric interconnection is an important technological achievement and national success, which unites the country’s largest island with the trunk of the national electrical system. Through this underwater energy bridge, which was rapidly constructed by the most modern media, Crete becomes a central pillar for the country’s energy transition, offering significant environmental, economic and social benefits for all. We are effectively proceeding with the development of an integrated electrical interconnections network, strengthening our country as a strategic energy hub in the Eastern Mediterranean. “
ADMIE’s President and CEO Manos Manousakis said: “The Energy Union of Crete with Attica, a vision of decades has come true by ADMIE and our subsidiary Ariadne Interconnection. The operation of the interconnection opens a new chapter for the island’s energy security. It is a technical feat that places the administrator at the forefront, internationally, in complex and high -tech electricity. In addition to the construction of the project, its operation met significant challenges, as the tests were carried out in high -profile RES and with complete safety for the electrical system. The successful implementation of the project and the know -how we have obtained give us even more confidence in our next electrical interconnections, domestic and international. “
The Crete -Attica electric interconnection is co -funded by the YMEPERA Operational Program (NSRF 2014 – 2020) and the “Environment and Climate Change” of the NSRF 2021 – 2027 to the amount of EUR 535.5 million, thus raising significant European and national resources and by greatly reducing the cost of the Greek consumer.