Terna: regional approval finalised for three key projects for the Sardinia electricity grid

TERNA: REGIONAL APPROVAL FINALISED FOR THREE KEY PROJECTS

FOR THE SARDINIA ELECTRICITY GRID

A decisive step closing off the authorisation process for the Tyrrhenian Link - Western Branch,

SACOI3 and the Terra Mala PC connection

The projects will increase the grid's efficiency and facilitate the development and integration of

renewable sources

Rome, 11 August 2023 - Terna, the Company headed up by Giuseppina Di Foggia, obtained formal approval from the Autonomous Region of Sardinia for three key projects that will increase the regional and national grids' efficiency, while at the same time, facilitating the development and integration of energy produced by renewable sources: the Tyrrhenian Link - Western Branch; SACOI 3 and the new 150 kV cable connection for the Terra Mala PC.

Today's outcome is a decisive step that initiates the final stage of the authorisation process for the three projects with the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and is the result of the close collaboration at institutional level between Terna and the Sardinia Region. Specifically:

The Tyrrhenian Link - Western Branch is the approx. 480 km-long section of the € 3.7 billion undersea power line that will connect Sicily and Sardinia. From the Terra Mala landing site of the cable in the province of Cagliari, the underground cables will run mainly along existing roads for around 30 km - leaving the environment and landscape unaltered - before arriving at Selargius, where the converter station will be built in areas near the existing electrical substation. The Sardinian Municipalities affected by the route of the underground cable all fall within the Cagliari metropolitan area, and include: Maracalagonis, Quartucciu, Quartu Sant'Elena, Settimo San Pietro and Sinnai.

The project is one of the main infrastructure works in Italy, continuing to improve the security, adequacy and flexibility of the transmission grid, reduce imbalances on the internal market and decarbonise the energy system in accordance with Paris Agreement targets. The connection will improve the capacity for electricity exchange between Campania, Sicily and Sardinia, significantly accelerating the development of renewable energy sources and phasing out coal in the generation of electricity. The new interconnection is a state-of-the-art project that will involve the construction of two 1000 MW direct current undersea power lines, one from Campania to Sicily and the other from Sicily to Sardinia, for a total length of around 970 km, with approximately 60 km running overland. The project will become fully operational in 2028.

SACOI3 is the new 200 kV connection that with modern technology, will upgrade the current undersea cable between Sardinia, Corsica and the Italian mainland. The project, in which Terna will invest € 950 million, aims to ensure greater stability and reliability to the electricity system, improve service quality, grid efficiency and integrate renewable sources. The project envisages a converter station located in the vicinity of the existing electrical substation in Codrongianos, two overland cables corresponding to the landing site of the undersea cables in Santa Teresa di Gallura and two undersea connection cables between Sardinia (Santa Teresa di Gallura landing site) and Corsica.

The 150 kV Terra Mala PC connection includes a new underground cable of around 3 km connecting the existing Quartucciu-Villasimius power line and the future Primary Cabin owned by the local distributor. The works will increase the meshing of the Cagliari electricity grid, thus increasing the quality of the electricity transmission service in the area.