(AGENPARL) – mar 12 settembre 2023 PRESS RELEASE
TYRRHENIAN LINK: THE MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT
AND ENERGY SECURITY HAS AUTHORIZED THE WESTERN
BRANCH, CONNECTING SICILY AND SARDINIA
The project, for which Terna will invest approximately 3.7 billion euros, will enhance the
integration of renewable sources and significantly boost the national energy transition
process.
The electrical infrastructure will be completed in 2028.
Rome, 12 September 2023 – The Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security has authorized
– by decree of 5 September 2023 – the second branch of the Tyrrhenian Link, Terna’s direct current
submarine power line that will connect Sardinia, Sicily and Campania, totaling 970 km in length and
1,000 MW of power for each branch. Tyrrhenian Link is a strategic project for the Italian electrical
system within the framework of the energy transition targets set by the National Integrated Plan for
Energy and Climate (PNIEC).
For the entire project – including the eastern branch connecting Sicily and Campania, which has
already been authorized – Terna will invest approximately 3.7 billion euros, involving 250 companies
in the construction. The new infrastructure will contribute to achieving the phase-out goal from coal
as outlined in the 2019 PNIEC and reaffirmed in the 2023 update, by increasing the transport
capacity, enhancing the security, adequacy, and flexibility of the national electricity transmission grid,
and promoting the integration of the domestic market and renewable sources. The project will be
completed by 2028.
“The authorization of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security is a crucial step that allows
us to begin the construction of a strategic project for Italy”, said Giuseppina Di Foggia, CEO of Terna.
“The Tyrrhenian Link, for which Terna will invest a total of 3.7 billion euros, will enable the
development of renewable sources, contributing to the decarbonization of the electrical system. The
speed with which the project has been authorized by the Ministry is the result of the ongoing
collaboration between Terna and the institutions and confirms the strategic importance of the
project”.
The new interconnection is a ground-breaking project that entails the construction of two submarine
HVDC (high voltage direct current) power lines (one from Campania to Sicily and one from Sicily to
Sardinia), totaling 970 km in length and 1,000 MW of power for each branch.
The western branch, with a total length of 470 km, will connect the Sicilian landing point of Termini
Imerese, in the province of Palermo, to Quartu Sant’Elena, in the province of Cagliari. From here,
the underground cables will mainly follow existing routes for a total of approximately 30 km, with
minimal impact on the environment. The cables will then reach the Caracoli area, in the municipality
of Termini Imerese, and Selargius, in the Metropolitan City of Cagliari, where conversion stations will
be built next to existing power substations. Horizontal directional drilling will be used for landing
points, allowing for the installation of conduits while minimizing the interference with marine flora and
the impact of the work on the coastline.
“The rapid authorization of such a project – said Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin – is the result of
the considerable streamlining efforts recently introduced in the authorization process, and of the
effective engagement with the affected regions. It is also the outcome of collaboration between the
Ministry, Terna, and the concerned regional administrations”, added the Minister of Environment and
Energy Security, “allowing us to take another major step toward achieving the decarbonization goals
of the national energy system outlined in the PNIEC.”