Malta’s second electricity interconnector with Sicily is making significant progress, with 92% of the underground land cable route in Sicily now installed and manufacturing of the submarine cable completed.The latest developments were announced during a site visit to Ragusa, where Energy Minister Miriam Dalli joined journalists and project representatives to assess ongoing works on the second interconnector, known as IC2.The project, which aims to double Malta’s electricity interconnection capacity with continental Europe, is progressing across several areas, including offshore preparations, underground cable installation and upgrades to Italy’s electricity transmission infrastructure. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lovin Malta (@lovinmalta)Around 19.3 kilometres of the planned 21-kilometre underground cable route in Sicily have already been installed, leaving approximately 1.7 kilometres to be completed.The remaining section will be installed once a major drilling operation near the Ragusa coast is finished, allowing the submarine cable to connect to the onshore electricity network.Preparations are underway for the construction of a 300-metre underground tunnel near the Porto Turistico in Ragusa, where the Ragusa Xpress ferry operates.The tunnel, which will have a bore diameter of 800 millimetres, will allow the submarine cable to pass from the seabed to the land infrastructure while minimising disruption to the coastline and surrounding environment.Meanwhile, contractor Nexans has confirmed that manufacturing of the submarine cable linking Malta and Sicily has been completed.The cable is expected to be loaded for transport from the company’s manufacturing facility in Charleston in December, with offshore cable-laying operations planned to begin afterwards.Works are also progressing at the Ragusa Terminal Station, where infrastructure upgrades are being carried out to integrate the new interconnector into Italy’s electricity transmission network.These include foundations for new electrical switchgear, cable trenches connecting equipment to a newly installed 220kV reactor and additional fire protection infrastructure.The site visit followed a temporary shutdown of Malta’s first electricity interconnector, IC1, which was required to facilitate critical works at the Ragusa Terminal Station.The shutdown was coordinated between Interconnect Malta, Enemalta, Italian grid operator Terna and contractors working on the project.Dalli described the progress as an important step towards strengthening Malta’s energy security.“The progress achieved across the various work fronts demonstrates the scale and complexity of this strategically important project,” she said.She added that the second interconnector would help Malta strengthen its electricity supply while supporting the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient energy system.Enemalta Executive Chairperson Ryan Fava also highlighted the importance of the project as electricity demand continues to increase.“As electricity demand continues to grow and the energy landscape evolves rapidly, projects such as IC2 are essential to provide the flexibility, resilience and capacity required to support future economic growth,” Fava said.Interconnect Malta Chairperson Godwin Agius praised the coordination between international contractors, electricity network operators and technical specialists involved in delivering the project.Once operational, IC2 is expected to double Malta’s electricity interconnection capacity with mainland Europe, providing additional flexibility to the national electricity system and supporting greater integration of renewable energy.The project forms part of Malta’s Vision 2050 strategy and is being co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund.While several major milestones have been reached, an official commissioning date for the second interconnector was not specified in the latest update.•