ATHENS – "Today is an important day for Crete. The electrical connection with the Peloponnese was put into operation. The island is now electrified by the mainland system through the new high voltage submarine cable," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis posted on Facebook for the launch of operation of the electrical interconnection of Crete with the Peloponnese.

"It is the largest AC cable connection in the world, with a total length of 174 km (terrestrial and underwater sections), voltage of 150 kV and a carrying capacity of up to 300 MW.

It is the first step for the integration of the island in the National Energy System that will be completed with the interconnection of Crete-Attica in 2023," the prime minister added.

And he underlined: The benefits are multiple. It is not just the normalization of electricity and energy efficiency. The environmental footprint is particularly important:

– It will cover 1/3 of the energy needs of Crete and will expand the margin for the development of RES on the island by 180 MW.

– With its operation, the dependence on local power plants will be significantly reduced, leading to a reduction of CO2 emissions by 100,000 tons per year.

When the connection is completed, consumers will save 380 million euros from electricity bills through utilities that burden all consumers for the operation of polluting units on the islands.

"Greece is moving fast in the 'green transition'. And our islands are at the forefront of this transition," Mitsotakis said.

In a relevant post on Twitter, he wrote: "The electrical interconnection of Crete with the Peloponnese was put into operation. The island is now electrified by the mainland system through the new high voltage submarine cable, leading to a reduction of CO2 emissions by 100,000 tons per year."