The grid operators of Italy and Tunisia have been awarded €307 million in funding for a subsea electricity cable between Sicily and the North African country. According to PV Magazine, the subsea line will stretch for 200km and reach a maximum depth of 800m.

The cable will have a capacity of 600MW and is expected to cost €800 million in total.

“It is the first time that ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ funds have been allocated to an infrastructure project developed by a member state and a third country,” the Italian grid operator, Terna, said in a statement. “As a further testament to its strategic importance, the European Commission has allocated over half of the available budget in the 2022 call to the project.”

“Thanks to this project, Italy will be able to firmly establish itself as the Mediterranean energy hub,” said Terna CEO Stefano Donnarumma.

According to energy intelligence and consulting company Enerdata, a total of up to 2.5GW of power interconnection projects are currently under consideration between Tunisia and Italy.

Interconnectors allow energy grids to diversify and local areas to invest in a greater percentage of renewable power. For more information, see Engineering Matters episode #157 Interconnectors: The Green Link to Ireland