IPTO's subsidiary, Ariadne Interconnection, has successfully completed the SAT (Site Acceptance Test) for the cable system of the Crete-Attica electricity interconnection at the Koumoundouros Conversion Station (Aspropyrgos), IPTO sources said. 

During the technical test, Ariadne's engineers loaded the two poles of the cable system, totaling 380 km, from one end of the interconnection to the other (Koumoundourou Conversion Station-Damashtas Conversion Station), verifying that the cable is functioning properly along its entire length.

It is recalled that the construction phase of the project was completed in December 2024, and the commissioning is expected in spring 2025. 

The project has been in full swing since the beginning of autumn, with the pre-commissioning of equipment and operational testing of subsystems. With the completion of these tests, system acceptance tests will follow, which are the final and most critical test before the start of trial operation of the conversion stations.

The Crete-Attica electricity interconnection is the largest and most complex electricity transmission project in Greece, with a budget of more than 1.1 billion euros, using the cutting-edge DC technology of bipolar design and nominal power (2x500 MW) as well as a voltage source converter (VSC) at the conversion stations. 

Its particular technical characteristics place it among the world's leading interconnection projects, being among the 3 deepest interconnections in the world and at the top in terms of power transfer capacity in an island system (1,000 MW) together with the Sardinia interconnection. 

The interconnection between Crete and Attica is the second phase of the interconnection of the Crete System with the Continental System, and in combination with the AC interconnection, it will remove the electrical isolation of the island and ensure its energy security.

At the same time, through the definitive cessation of conventional generation units, a significant reduction in CO2 emissions of more than 500,000 metric tons per year will be achieved, while a significant economic benefit will accrue to consumers through the reduction of WEEE. 

Finally, the reinforcement of the electricity grid will contribute to the further economic development of Crete (new jobs, industry, RES).