en.Wedoany.com Reported - Nexans has commenced horizontal directional drilling (HDD) for the offshore section of the second electricity interconnector (IC2) between Malta and Italy.

This HDD operation will establish the underground connection between the onshore and offshore sections of the project, enabling high-voltage cables to transition from land to sea without impacting coastal areas. InterConnectMalta stated that the drilling process will most clearly confirm the actual geological conditions below the surface.

Malta's Energy Minister Miriam Dalli noted that the project involves custom cable manufacturing and a series of complex engineering activities, extensive planning, and multi-party coordination, all of which are critical steps in delivering infrastructure of national importance.

ICM Manager Perit Reuben Sammit pointed out that the work will ultimately deliver key national infrastructure while remaining almost entirely hidden from view. Thanks to modern technology, major infrastructure can be delivered with minimal impact on the surrounding landscape and environment, but this requires extensive research, coordination, detailed planning, and careful execution.

Once the HDD operations in both Malta and Italy are completed, the submarine cable can be laid, expected to start from Malta toward Italy. Subsequently, the submarine cable will be connected to the land cables via transition joints executed by specialized jointers at both ends.

According to reports from late June, Nexans has completed the manufacturing and factory acceptance testing (FAT) of the 100-kilometer submarine cable for this interconnector.

The IC2 interconnector consists of a 122-kilometer, 225-megawatt high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) cable link connecting Terna's substation in Ragusa, Sicily, Italy, with Enemalta's terminal station in Magħtab, Malta. This line will run parallel to the existing HVAC cable line, which was also delivered by Nexans in 2015.

For this second interconnector, Nexans' scope of work includes the design, manufacturing, and delivery of 100 kilometers of submarine cable and 4 kilometers of spare cable. According to Nexans, the FAT was completed just over 13 months after the contract was signed, in line with the project's established execution timeline.