VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Work on Malta’s second electricity interconnector in Sicily is at an advanced stage, with 92% of the 21km land cable already installed, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli said.
Significant progress has also been made on infrastructure and equipment at the Ragusa terminal station, which connects Malta to the European electricity grid.
Dalli visited the site with officials from Interconnect Malta, which is coordinating the project, and met representatives of the contractors involved.
The first interconnector was switched off for 10 days earlier this month to allow critical works to be carried out safely at the Enemalta Terminal Station in Ragusa.
Dalli described the work as another step towards integrating the second interconnector into Italy’s electricity transmission network.
Interconnect Malta chief executive Ishmael D’Amato explained that equipment dedicated to the first interconnector had to be isolated from the area reserved for the new connection.
This enabled workers to prepare foundations for isolators and a channel for the reactor, which will connect the second interconnector to hybrid switchgear due to be installed in the coming weeks.
A fire protection system has also been installed, including a fire tank and firewalls designed to prevent flames from spreading.
Meanwhile, trench excavation along the 21km land cable route from the terminal station to the jetty in Sicily is practically complete, with the final 1.7km of cable still to be installed.
Connections are being made at one-kilometre intervals by specialised technicians before the trenches are covered with special sand and resurfaced. Fifteen of the 21 roadside openings required at cable joints have been completed.
Preparations are also underway near Marina di Ragusa’s tourist port for a 300-metre trench linking the land cable to the undersea section.
The connection will be created using horizontal directional drilling at a depth of 30 metres, through an 80cm-wide channel designed to minimise the impact on the coastal environment.
Dalli said the project was approaching its final stages and formed a key part of Malta’s long-term energy strategy.
She added that the second interconnector would strengthen the security of electricity supply and support the country’s transition towards a more resilient and sustainable energy system.
-Photo Interconnect Malta Inline image-
(ITALPRESS).
