US drops support for EastMed pipe
The US state department announced on January 10 it was dropping its support for the EastMed pipeline in favour of renewables.
"We remain committed to physically interconnecting East Med energy to Europe," the state department said in a statement. "We are shifting our focus to electricity interconnectors that can support both gas and renewable energy sources."
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The US is now backing projects such as EuroAfrica, which proposes to build a power link between Egypt and Greece, and EuroAsia, which would establish an electricity connection between Israel, Cyprus and mainland Europe.
"Such projects would not only connect vital energy markets but would also help prepare the region for the clean energy transition," the state department said.
EastMed would enable Israel and Cyprus to pump gas from recent offshore discoveries to Europe. According to studies, the pipeline would have a capacity of 10bn m3/year, although a final investment decision has not yet been taken.