The MT-IT Interconnector 2 is an alternating current, 120 km cable link that will be operated at a nominal 220 kV, 50 Hz between the substation at Ragusa, Sicily and the Enemalta terminal station in Maghtab, Malta with nominal power throughput in any direction of 225 MW.
The link will be composed of a land cable in Sicily with a length of approximately 21 km, a three-core submarine cable with a length of approximately 99km, and an approximately 2 km long land cable in Malta.
The capacitive reactance of the cable shall be compensated by shunt reactors on both sides. In Ragusa substation, two 195-240 MVAr (at 245 kV) shunt reactors are already installed, with a third, similar, reactor being installed as part of the IC2 project. In Malta, a new 250 MVA auto-transformer and a new 60-120 MVar shunt reactor (at 245 kV) shall be installed. This prior information notice for the tender to be issued by end of Q4/2023 pertains to the design, installation, and commissioning of:
a) One (1) 250MVA auto-transformer in Maghtab, Malta;
b) One (1) 120MVAr shunt reactor in Maghtab, Malta;
b) One (1) 240MVAr shunt reactor in Ragusa, Italy.
Meanwhile, Interconnect Malta is in the process of obtaining the necessary environmental and development permits, in Malta and Italy, to be able to issue a tender for the detailed engineering, manufacture, transport, installation, and protection of the second 220kV subsea cable link between Għallis, Malta and Marina di Ragusa, Sicily. This will consist of approximately 99km subsea 800mm2 Cu XLPE cable within a relatively shallow area of the Malta Channel with maximum water depth of circa 171m. The technical requirements of this project have been preliminary established by a front-end engineering design (FEED) study commissioned by the contracting authority (CA) and which formed the basis of the submission of the development permits. A mixture of mechanical protection mechanisms are required to protect the cable depending on the sediment/sand type and bathymetry of the seabed.
As regards the onshore works, Interconnect Malta intends to issue a tender for the design, manufacture, transport, installation, testing, commissioning and protection of 245kV Cu XLPE onshore cable circuits across 21km of route in Ragusa and cable route in Maghtab Malta, short runs (245kV and 145kV cables) at Maghtab Terminal Station and at Ragusa substation, terminations and related trenching, civil works and road reinstatement.
A tender for an EPC contract for the procurement and installation of switchgear at the Ragusa Terminal Station will also be issued.
More information on ICM’s tendering plans for IC2 can be found on: link