Sicily has given its approval for the second interconnector between Malta and Italy, some eleven months after the project had been granted the development permit from the Maltese side.
The IC2 interconnector will consist of a 122-kilometer high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) electrical cable interconnection, including a 99-kilometer submarine cable operating at 220 kV between Maghtab in Malta and Ragusa in Sicily, to be laid in parallel to the existing HVAC cable link which was commissioned in 2015.
This formal approval from Italy, known as the Intesa Finale , is a penultimate step in the Italian application process, with final authorization from the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) now being awaited.
According to InterConnect Malta, MASE concluded a consultation process with a positive outcome earlier this year.
In parallel with the Italian permitting process, Interconnect Malta has also been working on the tendering processes for various engineering, procurement and construction contracts and support services. Last week, a prior information notice was issued for the manufacturing and installation, including civil works, of a 132 kV, 50-120 MVAr, variable shunt reactor for the Maghtab Terminal Station.
ICM CEO Ismail D’Amato said: “This positive outcome brings us one step closer to securing the necessary development permit in Italy. It is a key enabler for advancing in the execution of IC2, which is now entering the implementation phase. We are closer to consolidating all the work carried out since the project’s inception.”
IC2 is being co-financed by the European Union under the European Regional Development Fund 2021-2027.
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.
Malta’s Planning Authority gave its approval for the development permit at the beginning of the year. The start of operations is planned for the second quarter of 2026.