Malta to suspend Sicily electricity interconnector for eight days

Malta will rely exclusively on national electricity production for approximately eight days starting Tuesday, October 27, due to the temporary suspension of its electrical interconnector with Sicily. The shutdown is necessary to facilitate work on a second interconnection (IC2) between the island and the European network.

Enemalta and Interconnect Malta (ICM) announced that the existing interconnector (IC1) will be taken out of service to allow for the connection of a recently installed 220 kV reactor to the hybrid switching equipment system. This phase involves using heavy machinery and specialized lifting equipment to lay high-voltage cables within the terminal station.

The second interconnector project is valued at approximately 300 million euros and is supported by roughly 261 million euros in European Union funding. Once completed, the 122-kilometer link will have a capacity of 225 megawatts, effectively doubling Malta’s interconnection capacity and strengthening energy security.