A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by IPTO, the operator of the Greek electricity transmission system, and Terna, the operator of the national electricity transmission system of Italy, in the context of the intergovernmental summit between Greece and Italy in Rome, defining the main terms and conditions for the design and development of a new electricity interconnection between the two countries.
The agreement was mentioned in their joint statements by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni.
The new direct current (DC) interconnection between Italy and Greece is a project of strategic importance that will support the existing infrastructure and the future development of the networks. It will contribute to achieving decarbonization goals, while strengthening the position of Greece and Italy as energy hubs in the Mediterranean, as IPTO emphasized in a statement.
“Electricity interconnection plays a key role in advancing Europe’s climate goals and the ‘green’ energy transition. The new energy corridor between Greece and Italy will expand the scope for electricity exchanges while enhancing security of supply and the more efficient operation of the integrated European electricity market, offering tangible benefits to consumers in both countries. Leveraging their extensive know-how and having established a close cooperation, IPTO and Terna are well-positioned to successfully implement this strategically important infrastructure project,” said Manos Manousakis, President and CEO of IPTO.
“The new submarine electricity interconnection between Italy and Greece will strengthen energy security in southern Italy and facilitate efficient energy supply, allowing the exploitation of new sources and the continuation of electricity exchanges between the two countries. Operating in parallel with the existing interconnection, which became operational in 2002, this project will further increase the efficiency of electricity transmission,” stressed Giuseppina Di Foggia, CEO and General Manager of Terna. “We firmly believe that an interconnected European electricity system is the key to a reliable and sustainable grid.”
The project
The project will have a transmission capacity of 1,000 MW and a total length of approximately 300 km. The submarine section will extend over a length of approximately 240 km with a maximum immersion depth of 1,000 meters. The new interconnection will operate in addition to the existing 500 MW interconnection, which began operation in 2002. Finally, IPTO and Terna are expected to invest approximately 1.9 billion euros in the project.
On the Italian side, the submarine cable will terminate in the municipality of Melendugno, while the new Converter Station will be built in the municipality of Galatina, both of which fall under the province of Lecce.
The three-year Memorandum of Understanding establishes a common administrative structure for the project, with the aim of planning the overall strategy and coordinating activities. IPTO and Terna will also proceed with the conclusion of agreements for the joint management of the tender procedures for the supply of cables and Converter Stations, as well as for the construction of the infrastructure.
GRITA 2 has already been included in the Ten-Year Network Development Program (TYNDP) 2024 of the European Transmission System Operators and has been jointly proposed for inclusion in the second list of Projects of Common and Mutual Interest (PCI/PMI).
