Greece, Saudi Arabian power transmission operators take first step at connecting grids

Greek-Saudi cooperation in the all-important energy sector, especially in light of the recently announced and highly ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) project, will focus on hydrogen as a fuel source, renewable energy sources and electricity infrastructure, according to results of a bilateral meeting in Athens on Wednesday.

High-level delegations between the countries that met in Athens were headed by Greece’s deputy minister of environment and energy, Alexandra Sdoukou, and Saudi Arabian Assistant Energy Minister Nasser Hadi Al-Qahtani.

One of the highlights of the burgeoning bilateral and regional cooperation was the signing of a shareholders agreement between Greece’s Independent Power Transmission Operator (ADMIE) and the Saudi kingdom’s National Grid SA. The agreement foresees the establishment of the special purpose company between the two grid operators as an inaugural step for a proposed Greece-Saudi Arabia power interconnection.

The agreement was signed by the operators’ managing directors on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting.