Submarine cable with XLPE insulation between Piombino and Elba island

The world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, Prysmian Group, has received the Letter of Award for a project worth approximately 68 million euros for the new submarine cable connection between the island of Elba and Italian mainland (Piombino, in the province of Livorno, Italy). The project has been awarded by Terna Rete Italia, a company fully owned by Terna, the Italian electricity grid operator (TSO).

The project involves marine and civil works for the design, supply, installation, and commissioning of an HVAC 132 kV three-core power cable with XLPE insulation and single-wire armouring between the power stations located on Elba island and in Piombino, along a 34 km submarine and 3 km land route.

The submarine cables will be manufactured in the Arco Felice plant (Naples), one of the Group centres of technological and manufacturing excellence. Land cables will be produced at the Pignataro (Caserta, Italy) plant. Cable laying will be performed by the Prysmian vessel Leonardo da Vinci, with delivery and commissioning scheduled by 2023. This project is the third of its kind for Terna, after Capri–Torre Annunziata and Capri–Sorrento, both in Italy.

“This award further consolidates our leadership in the submarine cable sector in Europe, and our strong relationship with Terna," stated Hakan Ozmen, SVP Projects Business of Prysmian Group. “We are proud to be a partner of Terna as it invests to develop and modernise Italy’s energy grid, making it more sustainable and smarter”. The new cable will double the island’s energy supply, guaranteeing a more secure energy flow, particularly during the heavy tourist season in the summer months.