As of 30 September 2025, Terna reported that around 4.8 km of the planned 34 km of civil works for the Adriatic Link’s onshore cable in the Marche region had been completed, production of the second pole of the submarine cable had begun, and supply of key converter equipment for the project’s converter stations was underway.
By 30 September 2025, Terna reported that the detailed marine survey for the Adriatic Link cable had been completed, finalising high‑resolution seabed investigations needed to progress the subsea HVDC route design and subsequent installation works.
In July 2025 Terna opened the civil works construction site for the Adriatic Link converter station at Fano in the Marche region, marking the start of onshore construction for this HVDC interconnection. By late September 2025 Terna reported ongoing civil works at Fano alongside progress on land cable works and cable manufacturing for the 1,000 MW link between Marche and Abruzzo.
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Adriatic Link is a domestic Italian HVDC submarine interconnector developed by transmission system operator Terna to increase transfer capacity between Italy’s Centre‑South and Centre‑North market zones and to facilitate integration of southern wind and photovoltaic output into northern demand ce...
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On 10 July 2025, Terna signed financing agreements totalling €1.5 billion to support the development and construction of the Adriatic Link HVDC submarine interconnector between the Marche and Abruzzo regions. The package comprises a €750 million, 22‑year loan from the European Investment Bank, a €500 million seven‑year credit line from Intesa Sanpaolo, and a further €250 million seven‑year loan from Intesa Sanpaolo funded by the EIB, with over €1 billion of the total guaranteed by SACE under its Archimede Guarantee scheme.
On 10 July 2025, Terna signed financing agreements totalling EUR 1.5 billion for the Adriatic Link HVDC submarine interconnector at a ceremony in Rome attended by EIB Group President Nadia Calvino, Terna CEO Giuseppina Di Foggia, and representatives of SACE and Intesa Sanpaolo. The package comprises a EUR 750 million 22-year loan from the European Investment Bank (signed 9-10 July 2025), a EUR 500 million seven-year credit line from Intesa Sanpaolo (IMI Corporate and Investment Banking Division), and a further EUR 250 million seven-year loan from Intesa Sanpaolo funded by the EIB, with over EUR 1 billion of the total guaranteed by SACE under its Archimede Guarantee scheme. The financing secures the capital needed to complete construction of the 1,000 MW, 500 kV HVDC connection between the Marche and Abruzzo regions, a strategic project in Italy s National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) targeting operation in 2029. This event is recorded as fid_financial_close because the signing of the EUR 1.5 billion financing package represents the point at which the project s full funding commitment was secured and construction financing closed, enabling Terna to proceed with the remaining major works including submarine cable installation.
Terna’s official press release on its 2025 Development Plan states that the Adriatic Link HVDC project received approval from Italy’s Ministry of Environment and Energy Security in January 2024 and that the terrestrial construction sites (“cantieri terrestri”) for the project started at the end of 2024, indicating that onshore construction works had commenced by late 2024.
Siemens Energy / Fata S.p.A. consortium contracted by Terna to supply two 500 kV HVDC converter stations for the Adriatic Link at Fano and Cepagatti.
On 31 January 2024, the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Sicurezza Energetica) issued Decree No. 239/EL-538/398/2024, granting Terna S.p.A. authorisation to construct and operate the 500 kV, 1000 MW HVDC interconnector "Adriatic Link" and associated works between Abruzzo and Marche, including the converter stations and related infrastructure in the listed municipalities. The decree approves the definitive project for the submarine and onshore connection, enabling Terna to proceed with this strategic reinforcement of the national transmission network.
On 7 September 2023, Prysmian Group was awarded a contract worth around €630 million by Terna Rete Italia, a subsidiary of Italian TSO Terna, to act as cable supplier for the 1,000 MW Adriatic Link HVDC interconnector between the Marche and Abruzzo regions. Under the contract Prysmian will design, supply, install and commission approximately 210 km of XLPE‑insulated submarine cables across the Adriatic Sea and about 40 km of P‑laser‑insulated underground cables connecting the landfall points to the Cepagatti and Fano substations, with cable laying to be performed by the Leonardo da Vinci and Monna Lisa vessels and completion of laying operations planned by the first half of 2028.
Italy’s Ministry of Environment and Energy Security launched the authorisation procedure for the Adriatic Link, a new 1 GW high-voltage direct-current submarine and underground power line connecting the Abruzzo and Marche regions, including converter stations near the Cepagatti and Fano substations. This step marks the formal start of the project-wide construction consent process, supporting Italy’s energy transition and targeting full operation by 2028.
Adriatic Link is identified as part of the Italian National Transmission Grid Development Plan and is included among the works set out in Italy’s Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC), recognising the 1 GW Abruzzo–Marche HVDC submarine interconnector as a strategic infrastructure for decarbonising the national energy system by 2030.
By early February 2023, Terna had completed a two‑phase marine survey for the Adriatic Link interconnector, inspecting approximately 700 km² of the Adriatic Sea along the planned HVDC cable route; the second phase included bathymetric, morphological and geophysical surveys carried out to support authorisation of the definitive plans.
By early February 2023, a marine survey campaign for the Adriatic Link interconnector had been completed over roughly 700 km² of the Adriatic Sea, whose first phase assessed geological, sedimentological, seismic, coastal‑erosion, flora, fauna and broader ecosystem parameters to provide environmental and site‑condition input for the project’s authorisation process.
Terna initiated the public consultation for the Adriatic Link interconnector through its “Terna Incontra” meetings with affected municipalities in Abruzzo and Marche, held between 6 and 14 September 2021, and continued this engagement phase through extensive dialogue with local administrations and stakeholders until its conclusion in April 2022.
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