MoU signed for new subsea connection between Italy and Greece

Some 240km of the cable will be submarine and it will operate alongside an existing interconnection, which was installed in 2002.

“The project will enhance the integration of the two countries’ electricity markets and diversify supply sources, reinforcing the role of Italy and Greece as electricity hubs in the Mediterranean region,” said Terna.

The infrastructure will have a transmission capacity of up to 1GW, twice that of the existing 500MW link, and it will cost an estimated €1.9 billion.

“The new submarine power link between Italy and Greece will enhance energy security in southern Italy and facilitate efficient energy procurement by enabling new resources and maintaining energy exchange between the two countries,” said Giuseppina Di Foggia, CEO and general manager of Terna. “This project will  increase the efficiency of electricity transmission. We firmly believe that an interconnected European power system is key to ensuring a reliable and sustainable grid.”

Terna is also working on a project to connect the Italian mainland with Sicily and Sardinia.

All pre-installation survey work was done on the eastern section of the double submarine cable project, which is part of the Tyrrhenian Link, a 950km undersea HVDC cable also with a transmission capacity opf 1GW.

The cable will be rested on the seabed and protected with reinforced concrete or bituminous mattresses, with cemented sediment areas buried at 50cm.