Cyprus cable waits on one NAVTEX

No maritime notice has been issued for seabed surveys along the Great Sea Interconnector cable route between Crete and Cyprus. A NAVTEX — the broadcast that warns ships about survey activity in a defined sea area — would need to specify coordinates, vessel names and dates. None have been published. Greek and Cypriot officials contacted in early August would neither confirm nor deny that one was planned (Cyprus Mail). Greek briefings say Athens will coordinate with France. No document has appeared (Enikos).

That missing notice has become the practical test of whether the Great Sea Interconnector — an EU-backed submarine electricity cable linking Greece, Cyprus and eventually Israel — can turn political backing into construction. The EU has committed nearly €658 million in grants (CINEA). France's Meridiam now holds 66% of the project company, with Greece's grid operator ADMIE keeping 34% (Enerdata). None of that sends a survey ship to sea.

40% of the seabed is still unmapped

Before cable goes into water, vessels must map roughly 898 km of seabed, measuring depth, terrain and hazards. The cable will carry high-voltage direct current (HVDC), chosen for long submarine distances because it loses less energy than alternating current (EU Global Gateway). Parts of the route reach around 3,000 metres deep (HVDC World).

About 60% of the surveys are done. The remaining 40% lies in waters south of Kasos and southeast of Crete, where work stopped after a 2024 incident involving Turkish pressure (Ekathimerini). Even if a vessel is chartered by September, completing the rest could take 18 to 24 months, pushing the survey phase toward 2028 (Kathimerini). Cable-laying follows after that. The contested area overlaps with waters where Turkey recently declared marine parks, a move Athens says has no legal effect on Greek sovereign rights (Greek MFA).

Three things that haven't happened

The project has serious sponsors. But three steps remain incomplete. The European Commission has not received merger notification for the Meridiam deal, meaning Brussels has not yet reviewed whether the ownership change raises competition concerns (CNA). Cyprus is waiting on European Investment Bank due diligence before committing state funds. And no final investment decision — the point where sponsors commit capital and construction contracts get signed — has been taken. Nexans, the cable manufacturer, said in January it remains committed, but that rescheduling will affect delivery dates (Nexans).

Who pays if costs rise

According to Phileleftheros, the Greece-Cyprus section carries a reported cost of about €1.9 billion, split 63% Cyprus and 37% Greece after the EU grant. Cyprus, the EU's most electrically isolated member state, would gain a backup power connection and access to cheaper generation. Nicosia has tied €25 million in annual payments — €125 million over five years — to the NAVTEX as a trigger for tangible progress (Capital).

Whether Cypriot electricity bills rise depends on a regulatory gate. The regulator decides which project costs can be passed to consumers through tariffs and which sit with the project company or the state. Former energy regulator chief Andreas Poullikkas argues that EU rules deduct grants and market revenues first, so the cable need not raise bills (Cyprus Mail). But of roughly €251 million ADMIE says it has already spent, Cyprus's regulator has recognised only 32% as recoverable through bills (Politis). Cyprus is not accepting ADMIE's spending ledger at face value. Who absorbs overruns from deep-water engineering, security escorts or further delays has not been published.

The Great Sea Interconnector is more credible than it was six months ago. It has named sponsors, EU funding and a cable contractor. What it still lacks is the permission-and-risk package needed to put survey vessels back in contested water.