Greece is collaborating with eight other southern European Union countries to establish the Mediterranean as a renewable energy hub, focusing on harnessing offshore wind and solar energy.
The energy ministers from Cyprus, Slovenia, Malta, Croatia, Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain joined Greek officials in a joint statement during the MED9 Energy Ministerial Meeting in Larnaca.
The group aims to develop cross-border renewable energy projects while minimising bureaucratic hurdles that could deter investment. They called on the European Commission to initiate a comprehensive study assessing the region’s renewable energy potential, which will guide future actions on green energy initiatives.
George Papanastasiou, Cyprus’s energy minister, highlighted the need for offshore platforms to generate green energy due to the increasing scarcity of land for such projects in Mediterranean countries. He noted that several nations have already launched pilot projects for offshore wind energy, with plans for wave-generated energy and floating solar units, leveraging the region’s abundant sunlight.
Greece’s ambassador to Cyprus, Ioannis Papameletiou, emphasised the Aegean Sea‘s high wind power capacity, stating there is significant potential for cooperation and the exchange of best practices among MED9 countries. Greece aims to incorporate 2 gigawatts of wind power into its energy mix by 2030, with plans to increase this to 10 gigawatts by 2040 and 17 gigawatts by 2050.
As Mediterranean countries strive to lead in the energy transition, they also face the challenge of integrating offshore energy facilities into existing onshore power grids for efficient distribution. Italy’s ambassador to Cyprus, Federica Ferrari Bravo, remarked that affordable green energy serves as a powerful tool for fostering peace in the region.
Read more: Greece wind power
(Source: Associated Press)