European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans to address critical energy bottlenecks, including Cyprus’s limited electricity links to continental Europe.
Speaking about the “Energy Highways” initiative during her State of the Union presentation on Sept. 10, von der Leyen said the Commission will work with governments and utility operators to accelerate projects that alleviate congestion in Europe’s energy infrastructure.
The Great Sea Interconnector, which would link Cyprus to Greece, is ranked second on the Commission’s list of eight priority projects. Officials said the initiative aims to end Cyprus’s electricity isolation and strengthen its connection to the continental grid.
The other seven projects targeted for action include:
– Integrating the Iberian Peninsula with France via the Pyrenees.
– Enhancing energy links among the Baltic states.
– Expanding electricity supply across the Balkans and neighboring eastern nations.
– Developing the North Sea as an offshore interconnection hub.
– Establishing a southern hydrogen corridor connecting the North Sea to the Mediterranean.
– Building a southwestern hydrogen corridor from Portugal to Germany.
– Improving price stability and energy security in Southeastern Europe.
Von der Leyen emphasized that each bottleneck will be addressed systematically to reinforce Europe’s energy resilience and security.