Underwater electricity line will link Israel to European and Gulf large power grids

The Jewish state is planning to build a 150-kilometer (93-mile) long underwater electricity cable, which will reportedly link Israel to the large power grids in Europe and Persian Gulf countries, the Israeli Energy Ministry announced on Tuesday.

The large energy project will reportedly meet the growing demand for electricity in the central and northern parts of Israel where the majority of the population lives. The projected underwater cable is expected to run along Israel’s Mediterranean coast from the southern city of Ashkelon to the northern city of Haifa. Once constructed, the cable will enable the Jewish state to connect to the European power grids via Greece and Cyprus. In addition, it will also provide access to the Gulf via Jordan and Egypt.

Israeli Energy and Infrastructure Minister Israel Katz hailed the project as an important step for Israel to establish itself as an energy power.

“I welcome the first step on the way to establishing an undersea electricity cable along Israel’s coast – a groundbreaking cross-border project that will move the Israeli electricity grid forward and help Israel become an energy power,” Katz said.

Katz emphasized that the project will strengthen both the use of renewable energy, as well as regional stability in the Middle East.

“The cable is a significant part of the national plan for energy and infrastructure that I will present in the coming weeks, to improve the reliability of the electricity system, accelerate the deployment of renewable energies, and link Israel’s electricity grid to Europe, Egypt, Jordan, and the Gulf states — a step that will contribute to regional stability.”

In May, Israel and Cyprus discussed a potential pipeline that would connect Israeli gas fields to the large European market.