Maltese Energy Minister Miriam Dalli says work on the island’s second electricity interconnector with Sicily could begin within months, strengthening security of supply and supporting the country’s energy transition.
Malta’s second electricity interconnector with Sicily has moved a step closer, with Energy Minister Miriam Dalli confirming that Nexans’ cable-laying vessel Electra will undertake installation of the subsea cable linking the two islands.
Speaking to The Energyst, Dalli said the project forms part of Malta’s wider strategy to improve energy security and diversify supply sources as the country continues its transition away from heavy fuel oil.
“We already have our first interconnector between Malta and Sicily. This is about the second interconnector,” she said. “The Nexans Electra will be the vessel laying the cable between the two islands.”
The minister said Malta’s energy system has been transformed over the past decade. In 2013, heavy fuel oil was the island’s primary energy source. Today, Malta’s electricity mix is supported by LNG infrastructure, the existing Sicily interconnector and a growing contribution from renewable energy.
According to Dalli, renewable generation has increased from around 2% of electricity supply in 2013 to 17.2% today, with solar accounting for the majority of renewable generation. Malta is also exploring battery energy storage, offshore renewable energy opportunities and potential future interconnections with North Africa.
The second interconnector is intended to improve system resilience and reliability by providing additional import capacity from the European grid. Dalli noted that while Malta maintains emergency generation arrangements, increasing interconnection remains a key element of its long-term energy strategy.
The project is one of the largest infrastructure investments currently being undertaken by the Maltese government, with an estimated value of around €300 million.
While development of the first interconnector took more than nine years, Dalli said progress on the second link has been considerably faster. The project was announced around four and a half years ago and cable-laying activities could begin as early as October.
“We’re speaking four and a half years later and we’re seeing that the laying of the cables might start in October,” she said.
Once operational, the new link is expected to further strengthen Malta’s connection to the European electricity market and support the island’s decarbonisation ambitions.
