The Greek electricity distribution system operator DEDDIE is accelerating its program to place electricity cables underground, while the transmission system operator ADMIE focuses on connecting islands to the national electricity network. One of the primary motivations for burying cables is to prevent wildfires.
This week, DEDDIE announced the completion of an underground section near the town of Lavrio, southeast of Athens, and deactivated overhead cables that had previously passed through a protected forest area where a wildfire had occurred earlier this summer. The cables and pylons in this area will soon be removed.
DEDDIE reported that the underground sections of its electricity network now extend beyond 29,500 kilometers. The company has allocated a budget of €267 million, fully funded by the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Fund, to continue expanding the underground cable network through 2030.