Terna, which manages the Italian national electricity transmission grid, and STEG, the Tunisian electricity and gas grid operator, have awarded Hitachi Energy a contract worth approximately €770 million for the construction of the converter stations for the Elmed project, the first electricity interconnection between Italy and Tunisia. Awarding of the contract marks the completion of the procurement process for the first high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine link between Europe and North Africa.
The tender, published in 2023 jointly by Terna and STEG, concerned the design, supply, and construction of the converter stations for the interconnection, one of the infrastructural projects included in the Mattei Plan for Africa to strengthen economic, energy, and geopolitical partnerships between Europe and African countries.
The infrastructure now awarded will be built in Italy in Partanna, in the province of Trapani, and in Tunisia in Mlaabi, which is in the Menel Temime area. The HVDC link will have a capacity of 600 MW and will extend for about 220 km, mostly via submarine cable, reaching a maximum depth of about 800 m in the Strait of Sicily.
Hitachi Energy is responsible for providing the HVDC solution which includes its MACH digital control platform, power transformers, and high-voltage switchgear; as well as system studies, design and engineering, supply, installation supervision, and commissioning. Other companies in the consortium, including D’Agostino Costruzioni Generali S.p.A. for the Partanna station and Orascom Construction SAE for the Mlaabi station, will mainly carry out civil works as well as electromechanical installations and auxiliary systems.
Elmed is a major infrastructure project for strengthening energy security and integrating electricity systems between Europe and North Africa, in line with the objectives of the energy transition and market integration defined by the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC).
The project, which is strategically important for Tunisia, enjoys the full support of the Tunisian authorities and is part of the national vision aimed at strengthening energy security, promoting the regional integration of electricity markets and supporting the energy transition. Elmed also strongly supports the dual objective of the European Commission’s REPowerEU plan: ending the EU’s dependence on fossil fuels and achieving decarbonisation targets, primarily through diversifying energy supplies and developing renewable energy.
Of the total investment for the link, at €1420 million, €307 million has been allocated by the European Commission through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) grant programme managed by CINEA. For the first time, the European Union has financed a project involving a non-member country, confirming the importance of the interconnection project.
The project is also supported, on the Tunisian side, by additional European and international financial institutions such as the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and KfW.
