VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Energy Minister Miriam Dalli attended the official launch of the cable-laying vessel Nexans Electra in Norway, marking a significant step in the development of Malta’s second electricity interconnector with Italy.
Representatives from InterConnect Malta and Nexans were also present at the inauguration, the government said on Friday.
The vessel will be used to install the 103-kilometre subsea cable linking Malta to Sicily, strengthening the country’s connection to the European electricity network.
Dalli said the project builds on the success of the first Malta-Sicily interconnector commissioned in 2015 and will improve the resilience and reliability of Malta’s electricity system while supporting the country’s 2030 climate and energy goals.
Nexans has completed the manufacture and testing of the cable, including spare sections, at its facility in Charleston, United States. Offshore cable-laying operations are expected to begin later this year.
The 150-metre-long Nexans Electra can transport the entire cable, weighing more than eight million kilograms, in a single voyage and install it at depths of up to 160 metres.
Preparatory offshore works have already been completed, including route surveys and the safe removal of unexploded wartime objects.
Onshore works are also progressing, with 97% of trenching completed in Malta and major works advancing in Sicily.
The €300 million project has secured €261 million in European funding and has been designated an Operation of Strategic Importance under the 2021-2027 programme.
– Photo Malta Ministry of Energy –
(ITALPRESS).
