Tyrrhenian Link €3.7 bn EIB €1.9 bn east branch late 2025, SAPEI 1,000 MW since 2011, IT-FR 1,200 MW HVDC underground, ELMED IT-Tunisia €307.6 m CEF, SACOI3 FID May 2024.
Cross-border HVDC workforce mobilisation against Tyrrhenian Link (Terna; two 500 kV HVDC bipoles 2× 500 MW = 1,000 MW total transmission; ~970 km subsea; €3.7 bn total; EIB loan €1.9 bn; east branch Sicily-Campania operational late 2025; complete project 2028; world-record laying depth 2,150 m), SAPEI Sardinia-Mainland (Terna; commissioned July 2011; ±500 kV HVDC; 1,000 MW; 435 km subsea cable; 1,640 m depth at deepest; €750 m), Italy-France HVDC Piemonte-Savoia (Terna + RTE; ±320 kV, 2× 600 MW = 1,200 MW total; 190 km underground HVDC — longest of its type at commissioning; Piossasco TO ↔ Grand'Île Savoie; operational H2 2021), ELMED Italy-Tunisia (Terna + STEG; ±500 kV HVDC, 600 MW; ~200 km subsea; €850 m; EU CEF grant €307.6 m Dec 2022; operational 2028), and SACOI3 Sardinia-Corsica-Italy (Terna + EDF; FID May 2024; €1.35 bn; ±200 kV bipolar multi-terminal 400 MW; operational ~2029) — ARERA + EU TEN-E (EU) 2022/869 + IEC 61936 + IEC 62501.
Request Technical BriefingRegulator exposure profile
- ARERA + Terna grid code + TEN-E28%
- CCNL Edilizia + Cassa Edile24%
- IEC 61936 + IEC 6250126%
- D.Lgs. 81/2008 + MASE VIA22%
Terna interconnector portfolio + counterparty TSO.
Italian HVDC interconnector portfolio against counterparty TSO — Tyrrhenian Link (intra-IT), SAPEI (intra-IT), IT-FR (RTE), ELMED (STEG), SACOI3 (EDF). IEC 61936 + IEC 62501 + Terna grid code + ARERA tariffs.
| Tyrrhenian | SAPEI | IT-FR | ELMED | SACOI3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity (MW) | covered | covered | covered | upgrading | upgrading |
| Operational status | partial | covered | covered | upgrading | upgrading |
| Counterparty TSO | covered | covered | covered | covered | covered |
| Converter station | partial | covered | covered | upgrading | upgrading |
- Operational
- East branch ops late 2025
- In-construction / planned
- Not built
IEC 61936 + IEC 62501 per converter station. Terna + counterparty TSO joint operation.
Named projects in this jurisdiction
- Tyrrhenian Link (Terna; two 500 kV HVDC bipoles, total 1,000 MW transmission 2× 500 MW; ~970 km subsea length; €3.7 bn total investment; EIB loan €1.9 bn; east branch Sicily-Campania operational late 2025; complete project operational 2028; world-record laying depth 2,150 m) Terna 2025
- SAPEI Sardinia-Mainland (Terna; commissioned July 2011; ±500 kV HVDC, 1,000 MW; 435 km subsea cable; 1,640 m depth at deepest; €750 m investment) Terna 2011
- Italy-France HVDC Piemonte-Savoia (Terna + RTE; ±320 kV, 2× 600 MW = 1,200 MW total; 190 km underground HVDC — longest of its type at commissioning; Piossasco TO ↔ Grand'Île Savoie; operational H2 2021) Terna + RTE 2021
- ELMED Italy-Tunisia (Terna + STEG; ±500 kV HVDC, 600 MW; ~200 km subsea, max depth 800 m; €850 m total; EU CEF grant €307.6 m December 2022; construction targeted 2024; operational 2028) Terna + STEG 2028
- SACOI3 Sardinia-Corsica-Italy (Terna + EDF; replaces SACOI2 mercury-arc HVDC; bipolar multi-terminal ±200 kV, 400 MW [300 MW Sardinia-mainland, 100 MW Corsica baseload]; €1.35 bn; FID May 2024; construction underway from early 2025; operational ~2029) Terna + EDF 2024
Italy’s HVDC portfolio runs through Terna: Tyrrhenian Link (€3.7 bn 1,000 MW, EIB €1.9 bn, world-record 2,150 m depth, east branch ops late 2025), SAPEI 1,000 MW (since 2011), IT-FR HVDC 1,200 MW (since H2 2021), ELMED IT-Tunisia €850 m + €307.6 m CEF (ops 2028), and SACOI3 €1.35 bn FID May 2024. ARERA + TEN-E + IEC 61936/62501 govern.
01. Pre-pricing — CCNL Edilizia + IEC 62501 competency
HV+HVDC workforce under CCNL Edilizia + regional Cassa Edile. IEC 62501 VSC HVDC valves + IEC 61936 HV installations competence per converter-station worker.
02. A1 + Italian-language contract + Terna competency
A1 + Italian-language contract predate site arrival. Terna grid-code familiarisation per converter-station worker.
03. ARERA + MASE + MIT onboarding
ARERA capacity allocation + tariff reconciliation. MASE VIA permitting. MIT marine routing for subsea cable corridors.
04. Ispettorato + INAIL-defensible evidence pack
Minimum pack: Italy-bank-traceable remuneration, Italian-language contract, A1 receipt, CCNL Edilizia tariff reconciliation, IEC 62501 competency record per converter-station worker.
05. India and Gulf sourcing corridors — the Italy HVDC pathway
Indian HV+HVDC trade pools through BHEL HV switchgear + Larsen & Toubro Power Transmission. The 8 to 14-week corridor delivers IEC 62501-competent candidates against Tyrrhenian Link, ELMED, or SACOI3.