The Malta Sicily Cable Link 2 or Inter Connector 2 (IC2) is a planned High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) electrical cable interconnection between Malta and Sicily, Italy.
The project will be developed by Interconnect Malta (ICM), a 100% government owned company under the Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Regeneration of the grand harbour.
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IC2 is being co-funded by the European Union under the European Regional Development Fund 2021-27.
The interconnector forms part of Malta’s 2030 climate, energy, and decarbonisation targets.
With construction works slated to commence in the fourth quarter of 2024, the project is expected to begin operations in the second quarter of 2026.
Once complete, it will strengthen Malta’s electrical interconnectivity with the European Union (EU) electricity network enabling increased import of renewable electricity.
Inter Connector 2 Route
Inter Connector 2 will be 122km long. It will be laid in parallel to the existing HVAC cable link that was commissioned in 2015.
The HVAC electrical cable interconnection will run between Malta (Maghtab) and Italy (Ragusa, Sicily).
The 220kV substation at Contrada Cimillà in Ragusa operated by Italy-based transmission system operator Terna and the Maghtab terminal station at l-Għallis operated by Maltese electricity services provider Enemalta will serve as terminal points.
Development Background
The cabinet of the Government of Malta decided to proceed with the development of the project in June 2021.
A preliminary route identification report was completed by ICM in September 2021. The company also started discussions with the Italian and Maltese authorities on the project permit.
A screening decision on the project was issued the Environment and Resources Authority in November 2021.
In 2022, tenders were issued for Preliminary Marine Route Survey (PMRS) of the offshore route and Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) for the project.
ICM applied to the Planning Authority, Malta in May 2022. Contractors were engaged for the project from between June and October 2022.
In 2023, PMRS Field activities were completed, and EIA documentation was finalised. The FEED was completed in August 2023.
In January 2024, the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) commenced the formal statutory authorisation process in Italy. Planning Authority also approved the Development Permit for the Maltese portion of the project.
Tenders for key construction works and infrastructure components were also issued in 2024.
The construction permit was issued in Italy in Q3 2024, which was followed by the start of onshore works in Malta and onshore Italy in the fourth quarter of the year.
The formal approval, known as the Intesa Finale, to the project was given by Sicily in November 2024. The final authorisation from the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) is awaited.
Malta-Sicily Cable Link Details
The approximately 122km long 225 MW HVAC interconnector between Malta (Maghtab) and Italy (Ragusa, Sicily) will include a 99km submarine cable operating at 220kV. The cable link will have 2km onshore portion in Malta and 21km onshore in Ragusa.
The project will use a 50Hz HVAC cable with a nominal rating capacity of 225MW.
Maghtab substation will house a 132kV, 50-120MVAr variable shunt reactor, and a 220kV/132kV autotransformer. The shunt reactor reduces the reactive power generated by the cable and improves efficiency.
The Ragusa substation will house new 220kV switchgear (air and gas insulated), a 195-240MVAr shunt reactor, a fire suppression system, a control system, and a transformer.
The 99km offshore three-core XLPE 800mm2 copper and fibre-optic submarine cable will have a diameter of 23cm.
A specialised cable-laying vessel will be used to lay the offshore cable. The connector will be trenched for most of the route; the cable will be protected by cast iron shells and/or rock placement where trenching is not possible.
The cable landing point in Malta will be at l-Għallis, while Marina di Ragusa was selected as the landing point in Sicily.
Trenchless method shall be used in both the landing sides to minimise the environmental and visual impacts on the shore.
The project will work on a bi-directional mode. Primarily, power will be transmitted from Sicily to Malta, however, vice-versa transmission is also possible in case excess of electricity production in Malta.
Contractors Involved
A joint venture between technical consulting and engineering company CESI and project management service provider Techfem won FEED contract for the interconnector project.
The Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for the cable link in Malta and Italy was conducted by AIS Environment and HPC Italia.
In September 2024, a €34.2m contract to manufacture and install onshore cables was awarded to SELT, an Italian transmission and distribution system operator.
The scope of works includes the supply, trenching, installation, and restoration of 21km HV cable in Sicily and 1.8km of cable connecting the Maghtab terminal and the offshore cable landing site at l-Għallis.
The contract to install two shunt reactors at Ragusa and Maghtab and a transformer was awarded to AG Installations, a UK-based electrical installations provider, in August 2024.
Fugro Italy, a geotechnical, survey and geoscience services provider, completed the preliminary marine route survey for the project in March 2023.
