Italy’s Environment Ministry has given its last and final approval to Malta to develop the second interconnector between Malta and Sicily, Environment and Energy Minister Miriam Dalli said.
In a press conference on Friday, Dalli said that the official permission was given by the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security (MASE), allowing Malta to connect the second interconnector through the Italian territory.
Dalli welcomed this important step, which keeps the project on track for final commissioning in the year 2026.
A 122km-long high voltage cable carrying a maximum of 225MW of electricity will connect Maghtab with Ragusa through land and sea, with a maximum water depth of 175m.
99km of the cable will be laid on the seabed between Malta and Sicily, and will be buried in trenches dug into the seabed, where it will be both insulated and protected by rocks or other material, to prevent damages as well as water seeping through.
The project will cost €300 million with EU funds covering €165 million under the European Regional Development Fund 2021-2027.
“We are working hard to deliver the projects we have planned as part of our energy vision. We are strengthening our distribution infrastructure; we are supporting the expansion of renewable energy and we are on track to delivering the second interconnector,” Dalli said.
She continued that this will not only strengthen Malta’s security of supply, but will also enhance the country’s connection with mainland Europe to enable more renewable energy.
This is the second interconnector between Malta and Italy, with the first one having been commissioned in 2015. The project will improve Malta’s current electricity interconnection with the European network.
The last remaining step in the Italian development permit process was Italy’s formal approval for the second interconnector.
Earlier this year, as part of the same process, MASE concluded a stakeholder consultation process with a positive outcome, and the Sicilian Region issued its green light.
Minister Dalli also thanked her Italian counterpart, Dr. Gilberto Pichetto Fratin for the close cooperation.
“The second interconnector will not only provide security of supply but will also enable the increasing share of indigenous renewable energy,” Dalli said.
Meanwhile, Interconnect Malta (ICM) has obtained the Maltese development permit and has also been actively working on the tendering processes for the various engineering, procurement and construction contracts and support.
“Following the start of civil works in Malta, with the construction of culverts in Maghtab already underway, this favourable outcome will allow us also to initiate works on the 21km stretch between Marina di Ragusa and Ragusa in Italy and in due course, in the channel between the two states,” Dr. Inġ. Joseph Vassallo said.
He said that both interconnectors start from the same area in Maghtab, within a safe distance from each other so that if one is damaged, the other is not affected. Vassallo said that the two interconnectors have different routes on land and sea.
Vassallo also said that with the second interconnector, 13.5 million tonnes of C02 is projected to be saved over a 25-year operational period, totalling to €712 million net economic benefits to the Maltese economy.
Aside from this project, Interconnect Malta is also working on the battery energy storage systems (BESS) and is managing the PQQ for the offshore floating wind farm project.
