A seabed survey is usually an engineering step. For the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI), it has become a test of how far Greece, Cyprus and Türkiye can manage their maritime dispute without letting it derail a major infrastructure project.

In mid-October 2026, the GSI developer applied to resume surveys for the planned undersea electricity cable linking Greece and Cyprus, with a possible extension to Israel. Türkiye says the survey area overlaps with claims set out in its 2019 maritime agreement with Libya. Greece says it can proceed. The application has brought that agreement back into focus because someone must map the seabed before the cable route can be finalized and the parties disagree over who has the right to do so.

The project has a clear purpose for Cyprus. It is the only EU member state without an electricity connection to the continental grid. The first phase would link Greece, via Crete, to Cyprus along an 898-kilometre route, with a planned capacity of up to 1,000 megawatts. If completed, the connection could give Cyprus another source of electricity, allow it to export surplus power and make it easier to integrate renewable generation into its isolated grid. The EU has committed €657 million through its Connecting Europe Facility.

Greece would gain a stronger position in regional electricity trade. A later extension to Israel could widen the network, although that is not part of the immediate Greece–Cyprus link. US officials have backed the project as a way to diversify energy connections amid the war in Ukraine and instability around the Strait of Hormuz.

That case for diversification needs a clear boundary. The GSI is an electricity interconnector; it will not carry oil or gas, and it cannot bypass Hormuz. It could give Cyprus another way to access electricity from a connected market. It cannot replace hydrocarbon supplies or guarantee that power will be available during a regional crisis. Its value will depend on how much electricity is available to exchange, how well the grids are connected and whether the cable remains operational.

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Greece’s Independent Power Transmission Operator, IPTO/ADMIE, is developing the roughly 1,200-kilometre project. French contractor Nexans has applied for permission to resume seabed surveys on the developer’s behalf. Greek approvals and a maritime notice are still required. Around 60 percent........

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