News
Greece clears survey vessel to restart Crete-Cyprus cable work
A Greek navigational warning issued on Friday gives the Abeille Marengo until 6 March 2027 to survey the seabed route, including the stretch up to Cyprus's exclusive economic zone.
Greece’s Heraklion hydrographic station issued a navigational warning on Friday for the French survey vessel Abeille Marengo to begin seabed surveys along the route of the Great Sea Interconnector, the planned electricity cable between Crete and Cyprus.
The notice, numbered 1411/26, was issued on Friday afternoon. It runs from 6 November to 6 March 2027 and covers the eastern and south-eastern Cretan Sea and the eastern Mediterranean. Passing ships are asked to keep two nautical miles clear of the survey area.
The vessel had been docked at Heraklion for several days. The warning took effect immediately, clearing it to sail.
What the survey covers
The notice covers the whole route along which the cable is to be laid, up to Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone. Surveys north of Crete have already been carried out, and the main section still to be surveyed is the area east of Kasos up to the limits of the Cyprus EEZ.
The work is for the Great Sea Interconnector, a high-voltage direct current cable intended to link Cyprus’s grid to Crete and from there to the European network. Cyprus is the last EU member state without an electricity connection to the European grid, according to the European Commission’s representation in Cyprus.
The EU has approved €657 million from the Connecting Europe Facility for the project and designated it a Project of Common Interest. The Commission says completing it would end Cyprus’s energy isolation, make it easier to integrate renewable power and strengthen security of supply.
The money and the risk
In October, Energy Minister Michalis Damianos said the Republic would pay €25 million in revenue support to the project promoter once the navigational warning was issued. The European Investment Bank’s due diligence study is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The survey area is where the project ran into trouble in 2024, when work was halted after Turkish warships intervened. Turkey disputes Greek jurisdiction in the area and says its prior permission is required. Greek media reported an understanding between the French and Turkish sides, and said Turkey was expected either not to react or to limit itself to challenging the vessel by radio. The Turkish government has not confirmed that.
What is not known
The reports did not say when the cable will be completed, what it will finally cost, or whether Turkey will interfere with the survey. Work had been stalled for more than two years before Friday’s notice.
Sources (6)
- Philenews, Greece issues navtex for Crete-Cyprus cable surveys, 6 November 2026 . Reports the navtex, its immediate effect, the route up to Cyprus's EEZ, the 2024 halt and the expected Turkish response.
- Politis, Great Sea Interconnector Surveys Set to Restart as All Eyes Turn to Ankara, 6 November 2026 . Reports the vessel's departure from Heraklion, the survey period, the 2024 warship incident and the scenarios for Turkey's response.
- Euro2day, Navtex issued for Crete-Cyprus power interconnector, 6 November 2026 . Gives the notice number, issue time, areas, dates and the two-nautical-mile safety distance.
- Politis, Commission Says GSI Is European Infrastructure, Not a Bilateral Project, 27 September 2026 . Quotes the head of the European Commission representation in Cyprus on the €657 million grant, the project's status and Cyprus's lack of an electricity link.
- CINEA, EU invests over €1 billion in energy infrastructure in support of the Green Deal, 26 January 2022 . Records the €657 million Connecting Europe Facility grant for the first electricity interconnection between Cyprus and the European grid.
- Politis, First Step Towards GSI NAVTEX as Activity Resumes After Two Years, 16 October 2026 . Reports the energy minister's statement on the €25 million payment and the European Investment Bank study.