The Georgia-Romania Black Sea Submarine Cable (BSSC) project, one of the European Union’s strategic energy infrastructure projects in the Black Sea region, is in the preparation stage of a marine survey, which will confirm the optimal route of the cable and provide the technical data necessary for the design of the infrastructure.
According to a press release of Romania’s National Electricity Transmission Company Transelectrica, the update of the feasibility study and the economic, financial and regulatory analyses that will support future decisions on the implementation of the project are also being prepared.
Transelectrica hosted on July 29 a technical workshop dedicated to the Georgia – Romania Submarine Cable project, which brought together representatives of the Romanian company, Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE) – the Georgian Transport and System Operator, CESI, the Maritime Hydrographic Directorate, the Border Police, as well as the institutions and consultants involved in the development of the project.
The objective of the workshop was to evaluate the progress made and to coordinate the next stages of implementation, particularly analysing the preparation of a seabed study/marine survey, the route of the submarine cable, the authorisation of the Romanian component, the schedule of activities and the cost estimates, while reflecting the joint commitment to developing a project that will contribute to the diversification of energy sources, increasing the resilience of electricity grids and strengthening interconnection between the European Union and the South Caucasus region.
BSSC is a project of strategic importance to regional and European energy security, and the technical cooperation among the partners involved is a relevant element for its maturation and implementation.
An important subject of the meeting was the Romanian component of the project, analysing the proposed route, the authorisation process and the technical conditions necessary for the integration of the new interconnection into the Electricity Transmission Network and the National Electricity Grid, including the investment necessary for the integration of a capacity of 1,300 MW in the Constanta area.
The project is currently receiving financial support from the World Bank for the preparation phase and is being evaluated in the TYNDP 2026 process, after its inclusion on the second European list of Projects of Common Interest and Projects of Mutual Interest (PCI/PMI). These stages have an important role to play in strengthening the European status of the project and in accessing funding dedicated to strategic energy infrastructure.
The Georgia – Romania Submarine Cable is a strategic HVDC interconnection planned across the Black Sea to link the power systems of Georgia and Romania. The project aims to create a high-voltage direct current line of 1,300 MW at ±525 kV, enabling long-distance transmission of renewable electricity toward Europe.
A 2024 preliminary feasibility study by CESI recommends a total route of approximately 1,155 km, of which about 1,115 km would be submarine. The terminals are planned at Topraisar (Romania) and Anaklia (Georgia), with cable sections laid at depths exceeding 2,500 metres, placing the project among Europe’s most technically demanding subsea energy investments.
