Terna, the Italian Transmission System Operator, and Nexans, are in the process of installing two 500 kV HVDC subsea cables with 1,000 MW transmission capacity. The project is worth EUR 3.7 billion, connecting Sicily, Sardinia & Campania.

Sept 16, 2025

Terna, the Italian Transmission System Operator, and Nexans, a global leader in the design and manufacturing of cable systems and services, today started, from Fiumetorto, in the municipality of Termini Imerese (PA), the first installation phase of the Tyrrhenian Link’s western section. Once completed, the connection between Sicily (Termini Imerese, Palermo) and Sardinia (Terra Mala, Cagliari) will set a world record for the greatest installation depth of a high-voltage (HVDC) subsea cable, reaching 2,150 meters below sea level and establishing new benchmarks for the electricity transmission.

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Terna will invest a total of approximately €3.7 billion in the project, connecting Sicily, Sardinia & Campania. The infrastructure consists of two 500 kV high-voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea cables, totaling approximately 970 km in length, with a transmission capacity of 1,000 MW. Specifically, the laying of the first connection of the western section will be carried out by Nexans in two phases: the first, 200 km long, will be completed in September 2025; the second, around 280 km, will begin in December 2025.

The connection between Sicily and Sardinia will stretch for 480 km between the Fiumetorto landing point (PA) and the Terra Mala landing point (CA). The converter stations will be built in Selargius (CA) – from which an underground cable of approximately 30 km will run to the coastal landing — and in Contrada Caracoli, in the municipality of Termini Imerese (PA), connected to the marine landing point via a roughly 7 km underground route.

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”The Tyrrhenian Link is an extraordinary project — not only for its scale and record-breaking installation depth as the first of its kind to be installed, but for the lasting impact it will have on Italy’s energy future. This achievement is made possible by our world-class subsea installation capabilities and decades of experience delivering complex high-voltage projects worldwide.” says Pascal Radue, Executive Vice President, PWR- Transmission, Nexans.