“The Black Sea Submarine Electric Cable Project is promising and feasible,” says the research, which the Italian Consulting Company CESI conducted at the order of Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE) with the financing of the World Bank (WB) and the support of the Georgian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development.

The project’s technical-economic research was launched in 2022. Environment and social issues and the Black Sea bottom were studied, and the construction cost and purchasing strategy were defined to determine the project’s route.

On December 17, 2022, the Agreement on Strategic Partnership in the Development and Transmission of Green Energy between the Governments of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary was signed in Bucharest. The agreed project involves connecting the South Caucasus energy system directly to the European energy system.

“With the development of the project, Georgia as the EU candidate country, will strengthen its position as the EU’s one of the most significant and reliable partner states. The Black Sea Submarine Electric Cable Project will assign Georgia an additional “new European destination” and significantly increase the role of our country in ensuring European energy security,” the Ministry said.

The Black Sea submarine cable project envisages the arrangement of an underwater high-voltage transmission network, which should connect the electric power systems of Georgia and Europe. Once implemented, the project, a 1,155-kilometer-long cable will connect Romania, empowering Southeast Europe and Romania to take advantage of expanded export opportunities and trade electricity at hourly electricity market prices.

The Ministry of Economy remarked that the implementation of the project will contribute to the strengthening of energy security in Europe and the South Caucasus region, the development of the renewable energy sector and the increase of transit opportunities.