ATHENS, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Greece has completed construction of the Crete-Attica electrical interconnection, which links the mainland to its largest and most populous island, Crete, Greek media reported on Monday.

The 1.1-billion-euro (1.14 billion U.S. dollars) project began in 2020 and was completed last week. It is expected to become operational in spring 2025 following test runs in the coming months.

Hailed as a milestone for Greece's national electricity system, the project aims to enhance Crete's energy security, reduce emissions, and lower electricity costs, the Greek national news agency AMNA reported.

Crete's aging electricity infrastructure, with a capacity of around 700 MW, struggles to meet the rising demand during the peak summer tourism season, often resulting in power outages.

With a transfer capacity of 1,000 MW, the interconnection is projected to cut production costs, saving consumers approximately 300 million euros annually. It is also expected to reduce the island's carbon footprint by lowering annual carbon dioxide emissions by 500,000 tons, according to the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO).

As the interconnection comes online, conventional power plants currently operating with imported fuels will gradually shut down, paving the way for increased use of renewable energy sources. (1 euro = 1.04 U.S. dollar) Enditem

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