A venture to assemble a brand new submarine energy line that may transport clear power from Tunisia to Italy was given the inexperienced mild by the European Fee.
This was a “decisive” step in direction of making southern Italy an “power hub” in Europe, which can “strengthen the continent’s power safety,” stated the Setting and Vitality Safety Ministry.
After the outbreak of battle in Ukraine, the power disaster is probably the most pressing problem for the EU, which is engaged on shared options for a viable various to Russian fuel.
The Mediterranean power hub, promoted by the Italian authorities, would assure Europe a clear movement of power, primarily photo voltaic, of 600 MW direct present.
The submarine energy line might be constructed by Terna Spa and STEG Tunisie and can run from the Cape Bon peninsula in Tunisia to the Partanna electrical energy station within the province of Trapani, Sicily.
An electrical energy station already exists in Partanna, however a brand new one might be constructed to transform from direct present to alternating present. Terna assures that the brand new station might be constructed “with structure and hues in concord with the panorama and surrounded by a pure barrier of timber.”
“Consideration to the territory and the setting is a agency level for Terna, and this venture additionally combines technical options with the bottom attainable impression”, the Italian firm says.
‘Tunita’, the facility line that may deliver power from Tunisia to Italy, has been included within the record of Tasks of Widespread Curiosity (PCI) and might be value €850 million, of which €307 million might be co-financed by the Fee by means of the ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ (CEF), the EU fund earmarked for the event of tasks to improve the EU’s power infrastructure.
“The underwater power bridge (…) greater than 200 kilometres lengthy will be capable to contribute considerably to power independence, the safety of the electrical energy system and the event of renewable power sources”, stated Terna CEO and Managing Director Stefano Donnarumma.
That is the primary time that CEF funds have been used for an intercontinental infrastructure, which energetically hyperlinks an EU nation with a non-EU one.
It’s “a chance for Italy to concretely develop into the power hub of the Mediterranean,” added Donnarumma.
“It’s a nice Italian success,” stated Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “It’s in Italy’s future to develop into a brand new power hub for the whole European continent, it’s in our mission to accentuate cooperation with Africa to deliver funding and growth,” she added.
(Federica Pascale | EURACTIV.it)
