Israel plans submarine power cable to Europe, Egypt, Gulf countries

Israel’s Energy and Infrastructure Ministry is planning to construct a 150-kilometer submarine cable along the country’s Mediterranean coast that will connect to Europe with the possibility to connect to Gulf countries.

Israeli State Council for Planning and Construction announced on 4 July it will promote the planning and establishment of the submarine power cable initiated by Minister of Energy Israel Katz after the matter was examined by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.

The cable will run from the southern city of Ashkelon to the northern city of Haifa to mostly transmit electricity generated through renewable energy sources in the south to cities in the center and north.

It is planned to connect the Israeli power grid to Europe through Cyprus, with an option to connect to the Gulf countries through Jordan and to Egypt, along the planned Peace Railroad route, in order to receive backup for the local grid and export green energy produced in Israel. 

The plan envisages the project to connect the Israeli electricity grid to Europe and Asia through the EuroAsia Interconnector which will connect Israel, Cyprus and Greece.

“My vision is taking shape and I salute this first step on the way to establishing a submarine power cable along the Israeli coast, a groundbreaking, border crossing project which will march the Israeli electric grid forward and assist the State of Israel in becoming an energy powerhouse,” said Katz.

“The cable is a significant part of the national energy and infrastructure plan which I will present in the coming weeks, and will improve the reliability of the power grid, accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and allow the Israeli power grid to connect to Europe, Egypt, Jordan and the gulf states, a step that will promote Israel’s status and contribute to regional stability.”

Last month Katz visited France in order to learn about the IFA-2 interconnector connecting the country to the UK. A delegation from the ministry is soon also flying to Germany to examine various aspects of the project, from planning to implementation.