Filenews 8 May 2023 - by Natasha Christoforou
EuroAsia Interconnector will grant compensatory projects in communities in the Larnaka district, which will be affected by the ambitious cross-border interconnection project of the electricity grids of Greece, Cyprus and Israel. It has already been decided to reconstruct the road in the community of Alaminos, which will be financed by the company because the cable will pass through the main road of the community. In addition, a state plot in the community of Agios Theodoros has been selected for the landing of underwater electrical cables in order to enable the land connection to the Kofinou Converter Station.
According to the information provided by the Ministry of Interior by the MP of Larnaka, Christos Orphanides, EuroAsia Interconnector decided to implement compensatory projects in the affected communities. Among other things, an event hall will be created in the community of Kofinou, a café restaurant in the community of Alaminos and a renovation of an existing multipurpose hall in the community of Agios Theodoros.
Mr. Orphanides asked for information regarding the planning of the reconstruction of the road in the community of Alaminos as well as the decisions for the laying of a cable, which was originally going to be placed near a fishing shelter.
In his reply, the Minister of Interior, Constantinos Ioannou, said that on March 3, 2023, an Expropriation Notification was made and published in the Official Gazette of the Republic, "in order to enable the implementation of works of the EuroAsia lnterconnector electricity interconnection project and consequently the execution of the road reconstruction works".
Regarding the laying of the cable, the Interior Minister said that EuroAsia lnterconnector had contacted the Department of Lands and Surveys in order to promote a process to secure the approval of the Council of Ministers for the lease of the state plot in the community of Agios Theodoros. As noted by this particular block, "following a relevant environmental approval, it has been selected as the most suitable landing point for the undersea electrical cables from the point initially indicated in Alaminos, since the new point abuts on a public road and therefore it will be possible to route the cables by land to the Kofinou Converter Station".
The Council of Ministers has already approved the lease of this state plot on February 8 and the director of the EuroAsia lnterconnector project has been informed about this, according to Mr. Ioannou.
The execution of the project is considered crucial, since Cyprus will have huge benefits and will cease to be the only isolated energy market in the EU. The electricity interconnection project will exceed €1.5 billion. and is funded with €657 million. by the EU, through the Uniting Europe programme. It is noted that this is the largest project funding in Cyprus by the EU.
