Meloni, Terna's agreement to interconnect with Greece

On the subject of interconnections, 'we have an extraordinary advantage that comes from our geographical location in the Mediterranean, which has returned central in global dynamics, as the shortest route between the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific: Italy and Greece will continue to work together on some strategic projects such as the Blue Med and Green Med fibre optic cables, and are committed to launching new ones. I am referring in particular to the approximately EUR 2 billion agreement that has just been signed by Terna and the Greek electricity transmission grid operator to double the electricity interconnection between our nations,' she said. So said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in statements to the press with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the end of the Italy-Greece intergovernmental summit.

"The new submarine electricity connection between Italy and Greece will increase the security of the entire southern area of the country and promote efficient energy supplies, thanks to the possibility of enabling new resources and maintaining the exchange between the two states". These are the words of Giuseppina Di Foggia, managing director and general manager of Terna, commenting on the memorandum of understanding signed with Greece's Ipto for the new Italy-Greece interconnection that will flank the existing one, in operation since 2002. "We are convinced," Di Foggia emphasised, "that an interconnected European electricity system is the key to a reliable and sustainable grid. Electricity interconnection plays a crucial role in achieving the European Union's climate targets and in the transition to a clean energy system.

The infrastructure, with a capacity of up to 1,000 MW and a total length of about 300 km, 240 km of which are in submarine cable with a maximum depth of about 1,000 metres, will flank the existing 500 MW connection that has been in operation since 2002. For the work, Terna and Ipto expect a total investment of about EUR 1.9 billion. As regards the Italian side of the work, the submarine cable will land in the municipality of Melendugno and the new conversion station will be built in the municipality of Galatina, both in the province of Lecce. The three-year agreement provides for joint project governance that will define the overall strategy and coordination of activities. In addition, Terna and Ipto will sign subsequent agreements to regulate the coordinated management of the tender phases for the procurement of cables and conversion stations, as well as the subsequent construction of the infrastructure.