Undersea Power Cable Could be Laid Within a Year
Source: North Cyprus News | Online News for North Cyprus
Monday, 4 December 2023
A member of the TC-TRNC Energy Commission was interviewed regarding the proposed one-way undersea power cable to be laid between Turkey and the TRNC, Kibris Postasi reports.
Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) Northern Cyprus Campus, Prof. Dr. Murat Fahrioğlu, stated, “We are on the technical side of the job when it comes to electricity supplied by cables from Turkey“.
He was asked if the project would be completed within five years. Dr. Fahrioğlu responded by saying that, “The production and laying of the cable can be done in one year“.
He noted that the country was going through challenging times regarding electricity supply and the state of its network. Dr. Fahrioğlu stated that the KIB-TEK network is in quite a poor condition in some places, and said the following;
“A one-year feasibility period was included in the protocol. Three years were mentioned for cable works… The cable part may be less than three years. The companies producing and laying the cable are very busy… They have contracts for 1-2 years, but solutions can be found more quickly in this regard. Companies that will be quickly established can be found. The number of these companies has increased; it can be done in one year… In one year, this cable can be drawn and laid”.
He noted however that ways to improve the existing network within one year had to be discussed.
Originally, it was planned that a two-way connector could be laid between North Cyprus and mainland Turkey, enabling the TRNC to sell its solar-powered electricity to be sold to Turkey, however, there are political obstacles in the way.
The European Network of Electricity Transmission System Operators (ENTSO-E), of which Turkey is an observer member, but has no vote, is the ultimate arbiter regarding the connection of a third state to the main grid of more than 30 countries.
On the official website of TEIAS, which connects Turkey to ENTSO-E, it states that all interconnected transactions made by Turkey are subject to the permission of ENTSO-E.
It states that ENTSO-E will not grant a permit to directly connect the northern part of Cyprus to the grid. And ENTSO-E has already started work within the scope of the “EuroAsia”* project to connect Israel and Greece to the main grid with a cable that will pass through the south of Cyprus.
However, it is possible for a one-way cable to be laid to North Cyprus from a new power station in Turkey.
Kibris Postasi
The original article: belongs to North Cyprus News | Online News for North Cyprus .
