Cyprus to pay interconnector dues once Greece issues survey notice
Cyprus will maintain its position that funding for the Great Sea Interconnector project depends on Greece issuing maritime survey authorization, despite French firm Meridiam acquiring majority control.
The position remains unchanged following last week’s announcement that Meridiam, a French infrastructure investment firm, has acquired a two-thirds majority stake in the Great Sea Interconnector company from Greece’s state power grid operator ADMIE. The transaction was finalized through an agreement signed Wednesday and has bolstered expectations in both Athens and Nicosia that the ambitious electricity link between Greece and Cyprus can proceed.
Cyprus’s energy minister issued a statement welcoming the development as a significant advancement for what the government describes as a strategically vital infrastructure project for the island nation.
Payment Contingent on Greek Survey Authorization
The Cyprus government plans to fulfill its financial obligations under the bilateral framework agreement only after Greece issues a navtex—a navigational warning that would reserve maritime space for seabed surveys along the planned cable route. This survey work is essential for establishing a reliable final cost estimate for the interconnector project.
According to information obtained by in-cyprus (Philenews), Cyprus has committed to annual payments of 25 million euros over the anticipated five-year construction period, totaling 125 million euros by the time the interconnector becomes operational. However, Nicosia has maintained that these payments are directly contingent on the navtex issuance, a position Greece does not formally accept.
Despite Athens’ disagreement with this conditional framework, pressure from the Greek government has reportedly diminished considerably, and Cyprus’s Finance Ministry has not yet commenced any payments.
Equity Participation Decision Deferred Pending European Study
Beyond the direct funding question, Cyprus has also postponed any decision regarding potential equity participation in the Great Sea Interconnector company. Such an investment would see Nicosia shouldering a portion of construction costs in exchange for a share of future revenue from the electricity link.
That determination will await completion of a comprehensive study commissioned by both governments and ADMIE, to be conducted under European Investment Bank supervision. The assessment will provide updated cost projections and evaluate technical challenges, particularly the significant depth variations along the seabed between Crete and Cyprus.
French Private Sector Role May Alter Turkish Position
Neither the Greek government nor ADMIE has publicly confirmed when the navtex authorizing maritime surveys will be issued, though Greek media sources have suggested survey operations could begin as early as autumn, as reported by in-cyprus (Philenews).
Alongside the share transfer agreement, Meridiam, ADMIE, and French cable manufacturer Nexans signed a separate arrangement to expedite maritime surveys and cable construction. The involvement of two French private companies rather than the Greek state-controlled ADMIE may influence Turkey’s response to survey activities in waters southeast of Kasos—an area Ankara claims as part of its continental shelf rather than Greece’s exclusive economic zone.
Some observers believe that private French corporate management of survey vessels, as opposed to a Greek state entity, could facilitate a pragmatic understanding with Turkish authorities while minimizing political complications for Athens.
Payment Schedule Independent of Final Cost Calculations
Once Greece issues the navtex for depth surveys, Cyprus intends to proceed with the agreed payment schedule totaling 125 million euros, regardless of whether the European Investment Bank study has been completed. The payments are not tied to the project’s final cost determination or to any unresolved questions about the interconnector’s benefit to Cypriot electricity consumers or its impact on consumer electricity prices.
The Great Sea Interconnector would represent a major infrastructure achievement, ending Cyprus’s status as the only European Union member state with an electricity grid isolated from the continental European network.
With information from in-cyprus (Philenews)
