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Terna begins laying submarine cables for Sicily-Calabria power link

Terna begins laying submarine cables for Sicily-Calabria power link

Built World

The 380 kV Bolano-Annunziata line adds 500 MW, lifting Sicily-mainland exchange to 2,000 MW

October 26th, 2026: Terna confirms first cable laid

Overview

Updated Oct 27

Terna has started laying submarine cables across the Strait of Messina for the Bolano-Annunziata power line. The link will raise Sicily-mainland exchange capacity by 500 MW, to 2,000 MW. The first of three cables is in place, the second is nearly finished, and the third is due by early November.

The project also adds underground lines and substation work at both ends. Terna says it will help integrate renewable power and improve grid flexibility. Its 2025 development plan puts the cost at €250 million with completion in 2027, and it is the first use of 380 kV XLPE submarine cable on Italy's national grid.

Why it matters

The link adds about 500 MW, lifting the Sicily-mainland exchange limit to 2,000 MW and giving island wind and solar more room to reach the mainland market.

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Key Indicators

2,000 MW
Sicily-mainland exchange limit
Terna says the new link adds 500 MW, raising the limit to 2 GW.
7.5 km
Length of each submarine cable
Three cables cross the strait between Bolano and Annunziata at up to 250 m depth.
€250 million
Estimated investment in the link
Terna's 2025 Development Plan estimate. Its 2024 announcement cited €105 million.
3
Submarine cables to be laid
The first is in place and the second is nearly finished. The third is due by early November.

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People Involved

PM
Pasqualino Monti
Chief executive and general manager of Terna
Overseeing Terna's grid expansion, including the Bolano-Annunziata build

Organizations Involved

TE
Terna S.p.A.
Transmission system operator
Owner and builder of the Bolano-Annunziata link

Italy's grid operator, responsible for the national high-voltage transmission network.
Prysmian
Prysmian
Cable manufacturer and installer
Supplying and laying the submarine cables, using the Leonardo da Vinci vessel

A leading global cable maker, contracted by Terna to produce and install the link's submarine cables.
MA
Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE)
Government ministry
Authorized the project in late 2024

Italy's ministry with authority over energy infrastructure projects.

Timeline

2024 October 2026

4 events Latest: October 26th, 2026 · 2 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Terna confirms first cable laid

    Latest Milestone

    First submarine cable in place between Bolano and Annunziata; second nearly done. Crews recovered a Greco-Italic amphora from the seabed and handed it to heritage authorities.

  2. Cable-laying ship arrives off Messina

    Construction

    Prysmian's Leonardo da Vinci vessel begins laying operations in the strait, with work authorized through November 15.

  3. Seabed preparation begins in the Strait of Messina

    Construction

    Pre-lay grapnel runs clear debris from the cable route through the end of October; vessels must stay 500 m clear.

  4. MASE authorizes Bolano-Annunziata link

    Regulatory

    Italy's environment ministry approves the 380 kV submarine link between Sicily and Calabria.

Scenarios

1

Bolano-Annunziata link energized in 2027

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Terna's development plan and Italian energy press

Cable laying finishes by early November 2026 without incident. The 3 km Sicilian land duct, the Calabrian stub, and the new Annunziata substation complete on schedule, and high-voltage testing wraps through 2027. Terna then announces commercial operation within the year.

2

Land works or cable testing push commissioning into 2028

Possible Resolves by Q2 2028

Discussed by: Engineering analysis of multi-year subsea builds

The cables install cleanly, but the Sicilian land duct, the new substation, or high-voltage testing runs long. Terna revises its in-service date to 2028 or later.

3

A defective cable section forces rework

Unlikely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Outage reports on comparable XLPE subsea links

Pre-energization testing finds a fault in one of the three cables. Prysmian and Terna replace or splice the affected section, adding months to the schedule.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2016

Sorgente-Rizziconi (2016)

Terna put into service a 380 kV alternating-current submarine link between Sicily and Calabria, at the time the largest such tie across the Strait of Messina. It gave the island a much stronger export path to the mainland.

Then

Sicily's power trade with the continent jumped, easing congestion on older links.

Now

It set the technical pattern, 380 kV alternating current subsea, that Bolano-Annunziata repeats with newer cable technology.

Why this matters now

The new project sits in the same corridor and answers the same problem: Sicily's generation capacity keeps outgrowing its export links.

1980s

Bolano-Paradiso (1980s)

An earlier 380 kV alternating-current submarine tie between Calabria and Sicily entered service in the 1980s, giving the strait one of its first major subsea power connections.

Then

Gave Sicily a second major mainland connection when built.

Now

Still operates today as one of the corridor's two existing links, alongside Sorgente-Rizziconi.

Why this matters now

The new line shares the Bolano landing point in Calabria and adds capacity beside the aging infrastructure rather than replacing it directly.

Sources

(10)
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ANSA Terna Agenzia Nova Gazzetta del Sud Villa San Giovanni Notizie InSiciliaReport Terna RNAnews Terna Terna