Elmed: Mase authorizes the electricity interconnection between Italy and Tunisia

The Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security authorized, with a decree of 10 May, Elmed, the electrical interconnection between Italy and Tunisia which will be created by Terna and STEG, the operator of the Tunisian grid.

The power line, for which a total investment of approximately 850 million euros, will have a total length of approximately 220 km, of which the majority is in submarine cable. The connection in 600 MW direct current will reach a maximum depth of approximately 800 metres along the Strait of Sicily.

“The authorization of the new interconnection between Italy and Tunisia – declared Minister Gilberto Pichetto – in addition to being an important milestone within the challenging energy transition objectives set in the PNIEC, it will allow the country, by virtue of its strategic geographical position, to strengthen its role as an electricity 'hub' in Europe and the Mediterranean area, becoming protagonist at an international level".

“Interconnected and technologically advanced networks are the basis of a safe and sustainable electricity system. Elmed is one of the most significant projects in Terna's 2024-2028 Business Plan, and the authorization obtained from the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security is an important step forward towards its realization. Once operational, the work will make a significant contribution to the system's decarbonisation path. In this sense, interconnections represent a necessary tool to increase the level of energy independence of our country and to diversify energy supply sources. Africa today represents a land of opportunities: investments, infrastructure and skills transfer are the key factors for solid and lasting collaborations", declared Giuseppina Di Foggia, CEO and General Manager of Terna.

"The final authorization for the new power line that will connect Italy and Tunisia is a great result in the energy transition process that sees our country at the forefront. A goal for which Sicily has played a leading role and which represents a great strategic opportunity for the new challenges that increasingly see Europe and Africa linked. Thanks to its geographical location and its environmental characteristics, the Island is in fact a candidate to become an important national energy hub, with significant repercussions in terms of economic development", commented the President of the Sicilian Region Renato Schifan.

As regards the Italian side of the work authorized by Mase, the terrestrial cable will extend for 18 km from the Castelvetrano (TP) landing place, up to the conversion station which will be built in Partanna (TP), near the existing station electric. In Tunisia, the electricity station will be built in Mlaabi, on the Cape Bon peninsula.

Authorized interconnection is one of the Mattei Plan projects. The Italy–Tunisia electricity bridge is a strategic work for the Italian electricity system as part of the energy transition objectives set by the National Integrated Plan for Energy and Climate (PNIEC), as it aims to improve the integration of the markets of the European Union and North African countries. Elmed also guarantees greater development of renewable sources and the improvement of the security of energy supply.

Of the overall investment for the work, 307 million were allocated by the European Commission through the Connecting Europe Facility funding programme (“CEF”), intended for the development of key projects aimed at strengthening community energy infrastructure. It is the first time that the European Union finances a project in which one of the countries involved is not part of the Union.