A new chapter opens in the history of renewable energy in the Mediterranean. Italy and Greece are writing the first lines of the project for a submarine electric cable capable of transporting 1 GW of clean energy.
The Heart of the project
Terna, the operator of the Italian electricity grid, enthusiastically announced the start of public consultations for the project GR.ITA 2. But what exactly does this project entail? An electrical link consisting of two 250 km long submarine cables will connect Thesprotia (Thesprotia) in Greece a Melendugno in Italy.
From there, the connection will continue to Galatina, also in the province of Lecce, where a new conversion station will be installed, connected to the Italian national electricity grid via an underground alternating current cable approximately 50 kilometers long.
Because it's important?
Clean energy, who wouldn't want it? This project is not just a matter of advanced engineering: it is a concrete vision of a greener future. The goal is to integrate the production of renewable energy between Italy and Greece, making the electricity systems of both countries more sustainable and reliable.
Not to mention that the project promises to reduce costs for consumers on both sides of the Ionian Sea, but for this effect I reserve the right to verify when it will be. I am quite unaccustomed to seeing real cuts in spending in the electricity sector.
A leap into the electric future
It is not the first time that Italy and Greece collaborate in this area. Already in 2002, a 400 kV DC submarine power cable with a bidirectional transport capacity of 500 MW was built. GR.ITA 2 represents an important turning point in terms of capacity and ambition.
With a capacity of 1.000 MW and an investment estimated at 750 million euros, the new connection will be much more powerful than the previous one.
We've only begun to explore how much energy could come from renewable sources and how projects like this will change the way we live, one gigawatt at a time.
