Onshore Site Preparation

BESSAC, acting as general contractor for Prysmian Powerlink, began onshore preparatory works in April 2023 for the France–Spain Electricity Interconnection in the Bay of Biscay. The company is constructing submarine cable landings using microtunnelling boring machines (MTBMs) with an internal tunnel diameter of 2,300 mm. These microtunnels form the shore-crossing conduits for the submarine electrical cables at three French landfall sites: Le Porge (offshore drive 1,290 m), Capbreton (offshore drive 1,200 m), and Seignosse (drive 1 offshore 1,355 m and drive 2 onshore 320 m). The stated works period runs from April 2023 to December 2025, indicating that the landfall microtunnelling and associated onshore site preparation for the Bay of Biscay interconnector commenced in April 2023 and will continue through the main construction phase.