Terna starts work on Sa.Co.I.3 interconnector
Italy’s transmission grid operator Terna has begun land-based construction of Sa.Co.I.3, the 200 kV DC interconnection that will link Sardinia, Corsica and Tuscany.
Image credit: Terna
Italy: Italy’s transmission grid operator Terna has begun land-based construction of Sa.Co.I.3, the 200 kV DC interconnection that will link Sardinia, Corsica and Tuscany. The project will contribute to the strengthening of the European electricity market and promoting the integration of renewable energy sources.
The infrastructure will be crucial in securing the connection between the Corsican and Italian systems, thanks to the construction of the Lucciana terminal by EDF, the French grid operator in Corsica. A total investment of €1.35 billion is planned for the works controlled by Terna, with a cost-sharing scheme between Italy and France. The project is set to enter operation in 2029.
Sa.Co.I.3 has received approval from the European Council for €200 million of funding under the REPowerEU program and includes the modernization and enhancement of the current Sa.Co.I.2 interconnection, in operation since the 1990s. The original infrastructure between Sardinia and Tuscany, commissioned in 1967, was the world’s first 200 kV DC connection.
The first land-based construction sites have been opened in Santa Teresa Gallura (SS) to build the landing point for the submarine cables between Sardinia and Corsica. From March 2025, works will begin in Salivoli (LI). Every aspect of the project has been designed to integrate with the surrounding environment, minimizing its impact at all stages, from construction to operation.
The infrastructure consists of 120 km of submarine lines between Tuscany, Corsica and Sardinia and two new substations: one adjacent to the existing plant in Codrongianos (SS), and one in Suvereto (LI), within the Terna substation of the same name. In Sardinia, 6 km of underground cable will be installed in the municipality of Santa Teresa Gallura, enabling the demolition of 5 km of overhead lines, while 1.2 km of underground cables will be laid in the municipality of Piombino in Tuscany.
Source: Terna
