Nexans to deliver second Malta-Italy interconnector, ten years after the first one

Nexans has secured a contract with government-owned Interconnect Malta (ICM) to deliver the second Malta-Sicily interconnector, a new 225 MW high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) link that will reinforce Malta’s electricity system and ensure a stable and resilient energy supply.

Under the contract seen as significant, Nexans will deliver high-voltage subsea cables that will be produced at its facility in Charleston, U.S.

The IC2 interconnector will consist of a new ~122-kilometer-long 225 MW HVAC electrical cable interconnection between the Terna substation at Ragusa, Sicily, and the Enemalta terminal station in Maghtab, to be laid in parallel to the existing HVAC cable link, also delivered by Nexans in 2015.

“We are proud to contribute to Malta’s energy infrastructure. Delivering this second interconnector strengthens the energy link between Malta and Sicily, ensuring long-term stability for the country’s electricity supply,” said Pascal Radue, EVP Power Transmission Business Group at Nexans.

“Building on our longstanding partnership with Interconnect Malta, this project also plays a key role in supporting the country’s transition toward a climate-neutral economy and enabling further investment in renewable energy.”

The overall interconnector cable link will be composed of a land cable in Sicily, approximately 21 kilometers long, a three-core submarine cable approximately 99 kilometers long, and a 2-kilometer land cable in Malta.

To remind, IC2 obtained its final approval in January after securing the permit from the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security (MASE).

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.

The project, co-financed by the European Union under the European Regional Development Fund 2021-2027, is expected to be commissioned in 2026.