Efforts to modernize and develop European energy infrastructure have taken a major step forward with the signing of a grant agreement for the first direct current interconnection between Europe and Africa. This has been welcomed by Italy’s transmission power grid operator, TERNA, and STEG, the Tunisian electricity and gas company, which will be in charge of the Italy-Tunisia electricity interconnection.
According to TERNA, the fourth edition of the PCI Energy Days in Brussels brought the signing ceremony of the grant agreement for the ELMED electrical interconnection between Italy and Tunisia, which initiated the €307 million financing from the European Commission for the subsea power line between the two countries.
With 600 MW of power and a total investment of €850 million, the interconnection will be approximately 220 km long and about 200 km under the sea at a maximum depth of about 800 m. This project is expected to contribute to the integration of electricity markets and energy supply security through the diversification of sources.
