The first step toward resuming work on laying the Crete–Cyprus electricity interconnector cable has been taken, with an application for a work permit submitted for the French-flagged vessel ABEILLE MARENGO.

According to the application, which has been filed with the competent directorate of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the request concerns “the conduct of a marine survey for the installation of direct-current submarine cables as part of the Crete–Cyprus interconnection project (Great Sea Interconnector).”

As clarified in the application, the permit covers the maritime survey areas that lie within Greece’s territorial waters.

The vessel’s authorization will set in motion the process for submitting a request to begin work. This process will be completed with the issuance of the relevant NAVTEX notices requested by the company.

It is important to note, however, that the work planned for this particular vessel concerns only the country’s territorial waters. At least at this stage, it does not extend into the critical areas of Greece’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) or its continental shelf east of Kasos—areas that have been the focus of Turkey’s opposition.

According to the application, the request was submitted by Next Geosolution Europe SA, which was commissioned to carry out the work by the main contractor, NEXANS SA. The assignment involves the necessary preliminary underwater survey, including oceanographic and bathymetric work, between the maritime area of Korakia in the Heraklion regional unit of Crete and the maritime area of Cyprus.

The application also emphasizes that, for the time being, “there is no other change to the overall procedure concerning the survey route for the planned laying and routing of the cable,” as set out in the relevant documents on which the previous authorizations were based.

It is further noted that the work will be carried out within the stipulated timeframe, through December 31, 2026, unless an extension needs to be requested.