EU and Azerbaijan want to lay power lines under the Black Sea

Electricity for Europe is to flow under the Black Sea: Azerbaijan and the EU have agreed on a project for which almost 1,200 kilometers of cable must be laid.

Munich/Brussels – Electricity for Europe through the depths of the Black Sea: In the future, Azerbaijan is to supply the European Union with electricity via a line under the sea. An agreement was signed in Romania on Saturday to lay a 1,195-kilometer cable linking Azerbaijan with Hungary via Georgia and Romania. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Bucharest: “We have decided to turn our backs on Russian fossil fuels and turn to our reliable energy partners.”

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU has sought strategic partnerships to reduce dependence on Russian energy. But it’s not just about dealing with a new geopolitical situation, the head of the commission explained. “It’s also about basing our future on clean, affordable and secure energy sources. And those are the renewables.” She therefore welcomes the fact that the agreement places great emphasis on renewable energies.

The line is scheduled to go into operation in 2029

Construction work for the cable is scheduled to begin in September next year, but it will not be operational before 2029 at the earliest. According to a statement by the Romanian Presidency, the agreement also provides for increased cooperation on new energy technologies, hydrogen production and energy transit infrastructure.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hailed the agreement as “our contribution to European energy security” and “a new bridge between the EU and Azerbaijan”. The Hungarian side was also pleased. “We are preparing to build the longest underwater electric cable,” said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. “If I were younger, I’d say you have to be rock ‘n’ roll to build a cable like that.”

EU boss von der Leyen also stated that the cable would give Georgia the opportunity to become a regional energy hub. According to this, the project also enables electricity to be transmitted to neighboring countries such as Moldova and supports the modernization of the Ukrainian electricity grid. (cgsc with afp)