Electric power transmission

Greek consumers will have to shoulder the cost of an extra 356 million euros should the power interconnection between Crete and Attica proceed as a national rather than a European Union-subsidized project, warns EuroAsia.

ADMIE subsidiary Ariadne Interconnection officially launched the tender process regarding the technical standards for the electricity linkup between Crete and Attica on Friday, despite the objections of the European Commission.

The European Commission has sent a fresh warning to Greece over the crucial project of the electrical interconnection of Crete with Attica, which Athens has unilaterally conceded to state grid operator ADMIE.

A blackout that affected most of Attica on Wednesday was caused by a faulty switch that blew at a sub-station close to the capital, Greek power grid operator ADMIE said Thursday, after completing its investigation into the power cut that disrupted traffic and trapped dozens in elevators.

In the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa's Birecik district, the wires in power transmission lines have been isolated to protect bald ibises from electric currents. 

The third phase of an ongoing project to connect the islands of the Cyclades by underwater cable to the mainland's power grid has been put to a tender, grid operator ADMIE said on Tuesday.

Firms have until August 23 to submit their proposals for the project, whose budget is set at 115 million euros.

Turkey does not anticipate electricity and gas price hikes in 2017 despite recent cost increases, Energy Minister Berat Albayrak said on Jan. 6, adding that Iranian gas flows were continuing but below full capacity after a technical problem occurred in December.

Sources from the Energy Ministry claim that a major cyber-attack is the source of the widespread electricity cuts across Istanbul in recent days, according to reports in the Turkish media. 

"The attacks are generally aiming to seize Internet sites and secure infiltration," a senior anonymous source said on Dec. 31, as quoted by state-run Anadolu Agency.

The head of the Turkish Electricity Transmission Company (TE?A?) has resigned following the massive electricity blackout which affected nearly the entire country, Energy Minister Taner Y?ld?z said April 6.

Speaking a press conference, Y?ld?z said five main distribution lines became disabled during work on the lines.

Energy Minister Taner Y?ld?z has said it is ?too early? to say the cause of the huge electricity blackout that left almost the whole of Turkey in darkness on March 31 was a cyber-attack, underlining that efforts are still ongoing to find its exact cause two days on.