Power Line Bringing Wind Energy to the EU Planned That Crosses a 730-Mile Sea

Once part of the USSR, the nation of Georgia seceded in 1991. Still located on Russia's southern border — and on the eastern edge of the Black Sea — it's now part of a four-country system that plans to transmit wind-generated electricity from Azerbaijan (to Georgia's east, also located on Russia's southern border) across an undersea cable below the Black Sea, through Romania and then on to Hungary.

Expected to be completed within three or four years, it could become 'a new power source for the European Union amid a crunch on energy supplies caused by the war in Ukraine,' reports the Associated Press, with Hungary's foreign minister hailing it as a major step toward diversifying energy supplies and meeting carbon neutrality targets.

Finalized today, the deal comes as Hungary 'is seeking additional sources for fossil fuels to reduce its heavy dependence on Russian oil and gas.'

Hungary's foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, said in August that Azerbaijan would soon produce 'large quantities of green electricity' with offshore wind farms, and that by signing on to the connector project which could bring that energy to Europe, Hungary was fulfilling a requirement that two EU member nations participate in order for the investment to receive funding from the bloc.... BR>

This week, Szijjarto met with officials from both Qatar and Oman on the potential future import of oil and natural gas to Hungary from the two Middle Eastern countries, a further sign that Hungary is taking steps to level down the 85% of its natural gas and more than 60% of its oil that it currently receives from Russia.

The article also points out that the country of Romania has also signed a deal with Azerbaijan's state oil company for natural gas deliveries starting on January 1.

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