EU Commission study highlights Georgia-Romania Black Sea Submarine Cable as strategic energy link

A new EU Commission-funded study identified the planned Black Sea Submarine Cable connecting Georgia and Romania as a critical strategic project for integrating energy markets across the Black Sea region.

The EU-funded study Advancing a Cross-Regional Connectivity Agenda identified the initiative as part of the second list of Projects of Common Interest and Projects of Mutual Interest, with implementation expected in the early 2030s.

“The project will help balance both energy systems and enable greater integration of renewable energy on both sides. Its implementation is expected in the early 2030s. To fully utilise this connection, strengthening internal grids is crucial, particularly with more powerful 400 kV lines in Romania and Bulgaria”, the report said.

In Georgia, the modernisation of the ports of Batumi and Poti, alongside the revival of the deep-sea port of Anaklia, is designed to accommodate the transport of heavy equipment necessary for both the Black Sea Submarine Cable and associated renewable energy projects.

“For the physical realisation of these market interconnections, the region is also developing the necessary logistical infrastructure to accommodate large-scale energy projects. In Georgia, the modernisation of the ports of Batumi and Poti, alongside the revival of the deep-sea port of Anaklia, is strategically aimed at handling the heavy equipment required for the subsea cable and renewable energy generation projects”, the report noted.

On the European side, Bulgaria and Romania are upgrading the ports of Constanța and Varna with heavy-lift docks and specialised storage for offshore wind components, creating a synchronised industrial ecosystem to support the physical construction of the energy corridor.

“This logistical preparedness is also reflected on the European coast of the Black Sea, where Bulgaria and Romania are modernising the ports of Constanța and Varna. By equipping these hubs with heavy-lift docks and specialised storage for offshore wind components, these countries are creating a synchronised industrial ecosystem, essential for constructing physical corridors that will connect these energy markets”, the report said.

The study further noted the role of the Caucasus Electricity Transmission Network in facilitating reliable cross-border electricity exchanges between Armenia and Georgia.

“With the support of the Caucasus Electricity Transmission Network, the EU is facilitating reliable and flexible cross-border electricity exchanges between the Armenian and Georgian energy systems, aligning them with EU technical standards and creating the potential for future integration into the ENTSO-E network”, the report concluded.