Today in Antalya, the Associations of Mediterranean Energy Regulators (MEDREG) and Transmission System Operators (Med-TSO) held a workshop titled “Towards an Interconnected Mediterranean Electricity Market: Overcoming Technical and Policy Barriers”, hosted by the Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority together with Teias, the Turkish Transmission System Operators. They explored actionable strategies to enhance the efficient and reliable operation of electricity interconnections in the Mediterranean region. These interconnections are crucial for ensuring energy security, stability, and enabling the effective integration of renewable energy sources into the power systems.
The two organisations, long-standing partners committed to creating the regulatory and technical conditions for an interconnected Mediterranean electricity market, were joined by representatives from the League of Arab States, the European Commission, the European Association of TSOs, the renewable energy industry, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Hosting the event, Mustafa Yilmaz, President of EMRA underlined Türkiye’s commitment to regional cooperation in his opening remarks, stating that “Türkiye sees energy not as a field of competition but as a shared platform for mutual benefit and regional cooperation. In an era of profound changes in the global energy landscape, we believe energy can serve as a unifying domain — a space where countries come together to create win-win outcomes. As regulators, we must ensure harmonized frameworks that enable robust electricity interconnections and cross-border trade across the Mediterranean.”
The other host of the event, Orhan Kaldirim, Chairman of the Board and General Manager of TEIAS underlined Türkiye’s vision for the future of the Mediterranean region, stating that “the importance of interconnections and integration of power system in ensuring security of supply and grid flexibility is growing”. He shared Türkiye's solar and wind energy targets reaching 120 GW in a decade, noting that the integration of such a large volume of intermittent energy sources brings grid stability to the forefront, thus making regional interconnections even more critical.
Opening the workshop, Stefano Sannino, Director General at DG MENA from the European Commission, shared the EU’s vision for the future of the Mediterranean region, indicating that “Energy security and energy transition are perfect examples of shared challenges. DG MENA is currently working with DG ENERGY to set up a Trans-Mediterranean Energy and Clean Tech Cooperation Initiative, “T-MED”. The aim is to set a credible offer to increase renewable energy production and trading and boost clean tech manufacturing in the region. While the Commission will help to attract private investments and develop infrastructure for renewable energy and clean technologies, there is also a strong need for regulatory reform and for the creation of enabling conditions to attract private sector investments. We thereby expect to build on ongoing regional cooperation, such as the work that Med-TSO and MEDREG Associations are doing.”
The first session featured panellists who presented the current state of cross-border interconnections in the Mediterranean, assessed Euro-Mediterranean projects, and provided insights into Projects of Mutual Interest. Various case studies illustrated how existing interconnections are managed, while the audience gained insights into the latest developments of the East Pathfinder interconnections project linking Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
In this regard, Sabah Mashaly President of Med-TSO, pointed out that “The electricity interconnections linking our shores are more than just physical cables: they are bridges of progress. They are crucial for enhancing our collective energy security, bolstering grid stability, and enabling renewable energy. Together with multilateral cooperation, such as the MEDREG and Med-TSO decade-long partnership co-founded by the EU, they are essential for our shared vision to building a more secure, stable, and sustainable energy landscape for the entire Mediterranean basin and beyond.”
A second panel discussed the main challenges and opportunities of an interconnected Mediterranean electricity market from a regulatory perspective. Hasan Ozkoc, MEDREG Director, highlighted the underutilisation of the region’s established interconnections, which undermines its strategic potential as a bridge between Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. He remarked:
“We must adopt regulatory, financial, and institutional frameworks at the national level to incentivize energy exchange, ensure the full capacity operation of existing interconnections between Europe and the MENA region, and accelerate the development of new interconnections to exploit the energy complementarities between the two shores. This is key to reinforce the security of supply in our region and facilitate the integration of renewables”.
Participants also put forward scenarios and strategies for using cross-border interconnections to boost the integration of renewable energy sources (RES) and discussed how to finance these initiatives. They suggested necessary actions to ensure interoperability and the smooth functioning of the Mediterranean electricity system, such as the creation of a Mediterranean grid code. The workshop concluded with a discussion on the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, designed to align global decarbonisation efforts with EU climate objectives. Case studies and experiences from neighbouring regions illustrated the application and implications of this mechanism.
Co-financed by the European Union, MEDREG and Med-TSO have been collaborating for over a decade on various initiatives to reinforce their members’ capacities in areas ranging from emission reduction in Southern countries and energy-efficient technologies to cross-border cost allocation for electricity projects and infrastructure investment. In close consultation with DG MENA, the two organisations will continue to actively collaborate to advance coherent regulation across the Mediterranean and create the conditions for a common energy market in the region.