Italian cabling giant Prysmian Group has finished laying the submarine cable for the interconnection between Tenerife and La Gomera in Spain, with the entire infrastructure expected to be completed by the end of this year.
The interconnection consists of a 66 kV double-circuit line, with a 36-kilometer underwater section and two underground sections at both ends, which will connect two new substations at El Palmar in La Gomera, recently completed, and Chío in Tenerife, which has been in service since the beginning of this year.
Prysmian’s cable laying vessel (CLV) Cable Enterprise began laying the cable on August 29 , ahead of schedule due to favorable sea conditions, completing it in two voyages from San Sebastián de La Gomera to Punta Blanca in Tenerife.
Two cable protection campaigns are now pending, which will take place between autumn and early winter, as well as the joining of the cables in the transition chambers, and the completion of tests in November.
According to Spanish transmission system operator (TSO) Red Eléctrica, the cable laying has been a challenge both in its design and execution, as the submarine section is approximately 36 kilometers long and runs at a maximum depth of 1,145 meters, making it the world’s deepest three-pole 66 kV AC submarine link. This required an adapted cable design, reinforced with lightweight materials capable of withstanding the demanding requirements of the environment.
The submarine interconnection between Tenerife and La Gomera, included in Spain’s 2021-2026 Electricity Transmission Grid Development Plan, is crucial to strengthening the quality and security of supply on La Gomera, enabling greater integration of renewable energy, and achieving a reduction in overall generation costs by connecting the systems of both islands, Red Eléctrica said, noting that the link will also advance Tenerife’s ecological transition, allowing it to take advantage of La Gomera’s surplus renewable generation.
Prysmian is also in charge of the design, supply, installation and commissioning of the interconnection between the Spanish mainland and Ceuta, a Spanish city on the north coast of Africa. The CLV Giulio Verne began offshore operations on the first of two submarine circuits that will connect Ceuta with the Spanish mainland on August 26.