Nexans begins offshore drilling for 225MW Malta-Italy link
Nexans has started horizontal directional drilling for the second Malta-Italy electrical interconnector, a 225 MW project that will double the island's power import capacity from Sicily.
Nexans has commenced horizontal directional drilling in Malta, kicking off the offshore construction phase for the second electrical interconnector linking the island to Italy. The drilling creates the precise underground passage required to route the high-voltage cable from land to sea without disrupting coastal areas.
The subsea infrastructure will span 122 kilometers, connecting the Enemalta terminal station in Maghtab to the Terna substation in Ragusa, Sicily. Operating as a 225 MW high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) system, the new cable will run parallel to the existing interconnector that Nexans originally installed in 2015.
For investors and grid operators, the project represents a significant capacity expansion. The second link will effectively double Malta's direct access to the European power market, providing a critical alternative to localized generation and improving regional grid stability.
Cable manufacturer Nexans completed the factory acceptance testing of 100 kilometers of custom-made subsea cable in late June. The company is also delivering four kilometers of spare cable under its contract, which covers the full design, manufacturing, and supply chain for the offshore components. Management noted that testing finished just over 13 months after the contract was signed, keeping the capital project on its scheduled timeline.
Once the directional drilling finishes in both Malta and Italy, crews will begin laying the submarine cable from Malta toward Sicily. Specialized jointers will then connect the subsea lines to the onshore land cables using transition joints at both endpoints.
“As one can appreciate, this project involved the manufacturing of a custom-made cable and a wide range of complex engineering activities, extensive planning and close coordination between different parties. These are all essential steps in delivering infrastructure of national importance,” Malta’s Energy Minister Miriam Dalli said.
The engineering approach is designed to minimize physical disruption to the surrounding landscape and environment. “Works of this scale will ultimately deliver critical national infrastructure while remaining almost entirely hidden from view,” said InterConnectMalta Manager Perit Reuben Sammit. Beyond environmental mitigation, the current drilling phase provides engineers with the first definitive confirmation of the actual geological conditions below the surface ahead of the main cable lay.
