The European Investment Bank (EIB) has just approved funding in the amount of approximately €168 million for the Second Malta-Italy Interconnector electrical interconnector that is set to link Malta and Italy.
The IC2 interconnector will entail a new 122-kilometer-long 225 MW HVAC electrical cable interconnection between the Terna substation at Ragusa, Sicily, and the Enemalta terminal station in Maghtab. Also, this will be laid in parallel to the existing HVAC cable link which was commissioned in 2015.
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Second Malta-Italy Interconnector Project Factsheet
Location: between Maghtab in Malta and Ragusa in Sicily, Italy.
Type: 50 Hz – High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) cable.
Capacity: 225 MW.
Nominal voltage: 220 kV.
Approximate route length:
- 122 km in total, including:
- Approximately 99 km of submarine cable.
- Approximately 2 km onshore portion in Malta.
- Approximately 21 km onshore in Ragusa, Sicily.
Funding:
- Co-financed by the European Union under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2021-2027.
- Proposed European Investment Bank (EIB) finance: Approximately EUR 168 million.
Cost: Approximately EUR 297 million.
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Components of the Cable
Overally, the interconnector cable link will consist of a land cable in Sicily approximately 21 kilometers long, a three-core submarine cable approximately 99 kilometers long, and a 2-kilometer land cable in Malta.
EIB, approximated the cost for the interconnector at €297 million, gave a green light of the €168 million financing on July 8.
Firthermore, Nexans will deliver high-voltage subsea cables for the interconnector. These cables for the project that will be produced at its facility in Charleston, U.S.
To remind, IC2 obtained its final approval in January after securing the permit from the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security (MASE).
Significance of the Project
Additionally, this second Malta-Sicily cable link is part of the Maltese Government’s future energy strategy for meeting the 2030 climate and energy targets and the longer-term decarbonization objectives.
Lastly, the project is co-financed by the European Union under the European Regional Development Fund 2021-2027. Additionally, it is expected to be commissioned in 2026.
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