(AGENPARL) – mar 28 novembre 2023 PRESS RELEASE
ELMED: TERNA AND STEG CELEBRATE THE SIGNING OF THE
GRANT AGREEMENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOR
THE ITALY-TUNISIA INTERCONNECTION
The European Commission has allocated a funding of € 307 million for the realization of
the first direct current interconnection between Europe and Africa
Elmed will allow for better renewable integration in both continents and promote the
diversification of supply sources
The event took place during the PCI Energy Days in Brussels
Roma, November 28, 2023 – The fourth edition of the PCI Energy Days in Brussels hosted the
signing ceremony of the Grant Agreement for the Elmed electrical interconnection. The invisible
energy bridge connecting Europe and North Africa, will be implemented by Terna, the Italian
transmission power grid operator, and Steg, the Tunisian electricity and gas company.
Kadri Simson, EU Commissioner for Energy, Giuseppina Di Foggia, CEO and General Manager of
Terna, and Fayçel Tarifa, Chairman and General Manager of Steg, celebrated the signing of the
agreement, ratified in August, which initiated the € 307 million financing from the Commission for the
undersea power line between Italy and Tunisia.
The funds from the EU “Connecting Europe Facility” financing program, aimed at the development
of key projects for enhancing community energy infrastructure, have been allocated for the first time
in history to a project between a Member State and a Third State.
“The Elmed electricity cable link that will connect Italy and Tunisia is exceptional in many ways. It is
the first project under the Connecting Europe Facility to receive funding for works to electricity
infrastructure project developed by a Member State and a third country. I want to congratulate Elmed
for showcasing true interconnectivity in practise, and wish the project best of success”, said Kadri
Simson.
“This event confirms Terna’s increasingly central role in contributing to the realization of a safe,
reliable, and resilient European electricity grid. We will continue to collaborate with European
institutions, providing both our unique and distinctive expertise and innovative, digitized solutions,”
commented Giuseppina Di Foggia. “Elmed is a strategic infrastructure for Italy and Europe, one of
the most important projects of Terna’s Development Plan and will contribute to the increase and
integration of renewable energy sources in both continents, allowing our Country and the EU to
enhance energy independence”.
“The financing of € 307 million allocated to the flagship Elmed project testifies to the longstanding
partnership between the Tunisian Government and the European Union in the energy sector,
highlighting the strategic importance of this project for a secure, sustainable, and renewable energy
future. Furthermore, we are convinced that this project will contribute to achieving the expected goal
of energy transition in Tunisia by 2030 and to increasing its level of energy independence,” stated
Mr. Faycel Tarifa. “This interconnection not only links the Tunisian electrical grid to the Italian grid
through a 600 MW submarine cable but also symbolizes the exceptional level of cooperation
between the two continents and the two shores of the Mediterranean, especially between Tunisia
and Italy. It will open the door to several other projects in the region with the support of European
Union institutions”.
The interconnection will be approximately 220 km long (about 200 km under the sea at a maximum
depth of about 800 m), with 600 MW of power and a total investment of € 850 million. It will also
contribute to the integration of electricity markets and energy supply security through diversification
of sources. Elmed will help to reduce climate-altering emissions, contributing to the achievement of
Italian and European energy and climate goals set by the Integrated National Energy and Climate
Plan and the Green New Deal.
PCI Energy Days bring together Member States, regulators, grid operators, and promoters of
Common Interest Projects – such as Elmed – to share successful experiences and the upcoming
challenges for the modernization and the development of European energy infrastructure.