Nexans has started laying high-voltage subsea cable between Italy’s Sicily and Sardinia as part of the western section of the Tyrrhenian Link.
The connection between Sicily and Sardinia, approved in September 2023, will stretch for 480 kilometers between the Fiumetorto landing point, Palermo in Sicily, and the Terra Mala landing point, Cagliari in Sardinia, and will, once completed, set a world record for the greatest installation depth of an HVDC subsea cable, reaching 2,150 meters below sea level, Nexans said.
The converter stations will be built in Selargius, Cagliari, from which an underground cable of approximately 30 kilometers will run to the coastal landing, and in Contrada Caracoli, in the municipality of Termini Imerese, Palermo,, connected to the marine landing point via a roughly 7-kilometer underground route.
This first installation phase of the Tyrrhenian Link’s western section started from Fiumetorto.
Nexans will perform the laying of the first connection of the western section in two phases, with the first, 200 kilometers long, to be completed this month, and the second, around 280 kilometers long, to begin in December.
“The start of laying the western branch between Sicily and Sardinia marks a decisive step for the Tyrrhenian Link, as it represents a milestone of historic significance: for the first time, a high-voltage direct current subsea cable will be installed at a depth of up to 2,150 meters, the deepest ever reached by a high-voltage subsea cable,” said Giuseppina Di Foggia , CEO and General Manager of Terna.
“In line with our Industrial Plan, we are moving forward with the construction of the Tyrrhenian Link, a key infrastructure for the national electricity system that benefits from €500 million in funding under REPowerEU. Last May, we completed the first of two cables between Sicily and Campania, and we have scheduled the conclusion of the laying of the first cable of the western section at the beginning of next year.”
Described as one of Italy’s most significant electrical infrastructures, the 970-kilometer, 1,000 MW Tyrrhenian Link encompasses two sections: the west part, currently in question, as well as the east one from Sicily to Campania.
Italy’s cabling giant Prysmian Group confirmed the wrap-up of the installation works for the first of two submarine cables of the eastern section in mid-May.
Tyrrhenian Link is scheduled to be fully operational in 2028.