Italy and Tunisia Achieve First Undersea Electric Connection Between Europe and North Africa

Italy and Tunisia have taken an important step forward towards the realization of the first direct current electric connection between Europe and North Africa. The managers of the respective power grids, Terna and STEG, have awarded Hitachi Energy a contract valued at approximately 770 million euros for the construction of the conversion stations that will form the core of the Elmed project.

The assignment completes the procurement procedure for the new high-voltage direct current (HVDC) infrastructure, which will link the two countries through a 600-megawatt transmission line approximately 220 kilometers long. Much of the cable will be laid on the seabed of the Mediterranean Sea, crossing the Strait of Sicily at a depth of about 800 meters.

The two conversion stations will be located in Partanna, Sicily, and in Mlaabi, near Menzel Temime in the northeastern part of Tunisia. HVDC technology is considered particularly suitable for long-distance undersea connections because it allows energy to be transported with greater efficiency compared to traditional alternating current systems.

What will the undersea cable connecting Italy and Tunisia be used for? Once completed, the infrastructure will enable the transfer of electricity between the European and North African grids, promoting better integration of renewable sources and strengthening the energy security of the two areas bordering the Mediterranean.

Hitachi Energy will be responsible for providing the entire HVDC system, including conversion valves, the digital control platform MACH, power transformers, and high-voltage switching equipment. The company will also oversee the engineering design, system layout, installation supervision, and testing and commissioning operations. Civil works will be entrusted to a consortium formed by D'Agostino Costruzioni Generali for the Italian part and Orascom Construction for the Tunisian part.

The Elmed project, with a total value of approximately 1.42 billion euros, is part of the Mattei Plan for Africa promoted by Italy and also contributes to the objectives of the European REPowerEU strategy, which aims to diversify energy supplies and foster greater integration of renewable energy. The European Commission will support the initiative with funding of 307 million euros through the Connecting Europe Facility program. This is the first time the European Union finances an energy infrastructure involving a country outside its borders.