Terna and STEG awarded Hitachi Energy an essential contract for the first HVDC power interconnection between Europe and North Africa.
Terna and STEG awarded Hitachi Energy a contract worth around €770 million to build the converter stations for the Elmed project, the first direct current power interconnection between Europe and North Africa.
The link will connect the Partanna substation in Sicily with the Mlaabi substation on Tunisia’s Cap Bon peninsula. The infrastructure will be approximately 220 kilometers long, of which about 200 kilometers will be submarine cable.
Two converter stations for a 600 MW connection
The stations will be built in Partanna, Province of Trapani, and in Mlaabi, in the Menzel Temime area. The Elmed interconnection will use HVDC technology and will have a bidirectional capacity of 600 MW.
In addition, the submarine cable will reach a maximum depth of close to 800 meters in the Strait of Sicily. This configuration will enable electricity transfer between both systems and strengthen the stability of the Euro-Mediterranean grid.
HVDC technology for power interconnection
Hitachi Energy will supply the project’s HVDC solution, including converter valves, the MACH™ digital control platform, power transformers, high-voltage switchgear, system studies, engineering, supply, installation supervision and commissioning.
Likewise, D’Agostino Costruzioni Generali will participate in the Partanna station and Orascom Construction SAE in the Mlaabi station. Both companies will be mainly responsible for civil works, electromechanical installations and auxiliary systems.
Elmed strengthens energy security between Europe and Africa
Elmed is part of a total investment estimated at €1.42 billion. Of that amount, €307 million was allocated by the European Commission through the Connecting Europe Facility program, managed by CINEA.
European funding stands out because it is the first time the European Union has supported a power interconnection project involving a non-member country. For Tunisia, the infrastructure aims to improve energy security, facilitate regional integration and support the transition to a power system with more renewables.
Source and photo: https://www.hitachienergy.com/
