Commercial Operations Full Power

DELAYED +2yr (Apr 2026): Multiple authoritative and high‑credibility sources indicate that the original 2028–2029 commissioning target for ELMED is slipping to around 2030–2031. Earlier planning documents from the World Bank, EIB and the official elmedproject.com site, as well as the EBRD’s 13 June 2024 financing announcement, all describe construction of the 600 MW HVDC cable with an entry‑into‑service/"by 2028" timeframe, which underpinned the previous 2029-01-01 COD projection. However, Terna’s 14 March 2025 2025–2034 Development Plan groups the Italy–Tunisia energy bridge among major infrastructures expected to be operational "by 2030". More recently, Tunisia’s Secretary of State for Energy Transition Wael Chouchane, cited in both Zawya (utilities projects coverage, 2026) and Agenzia Nova (6 March 2026), states that while entry into service was scheduled for 2028, completion and commissioning could be delayed to 2030 or even 2031 due to global supply‑chain constraints and strong demand for electrical equipment following the Ukraine war. Given this official acknowledgement of a likely slip to the 2030–2031 window, and Terna’s own plan referencing operation by 2030, the 2029 COD no longer appears realistic. Adjusting the commercial_operations_full_power milestone to late 2030 (2030‑12‑31, approximate) provides a conservative, evidence‑based midpoint within the 2030–2031 range while still reflecting the developer’s current public target of operation "by 2030". --- The ELMED HVDC submarine interconnector between Tunisia’s Cap Bon peninsula and Sicily is planned to go into operation in 2029, linking Tunisia to the European interconnected power system and allowing electricity to flow between Europe and Africa at its intended 600 MW capacity.