The Italy–Albania subsea interconnector is a planned cross‑border electricity link to transmit power between Albania (landfall/near Vlora/Vlore) and Italy’s Puglia (Apulia) region. The scheme has been promoted as a strategic component of the broader Corridor VIII connectivity agenda and is intend...
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In January 2025, Italy, Albania and the UAE signed a €1 billion deal to construct a subsea electricity interconnection across the Adriatic Sea, linking Albania’s Vlore port with Italy’s Puglia region to enhance energy security and support the clean energy transition. The agreement, backed by stakeholders including Italian grid operator Terna, the UAE’s Taqa and Albania’s renewable energy sector, is intended to enable cross-border trade in renewable power and strengthen the wider Mediterranean energy grid, with operations expected within three years.
On 21 January 2025, Italy, Albania and the United Arab Emirates were reported to have signed a €1 billion deal to construct a subsea energy interconnection across the Adriatic Sea linking Albania’s Vlore port with Italy’s Puglia region, establishing a tripartite co-development structure for the Italy–Albania interconnector backed by Italian grid operator Terna, UAE energy company Taqa, and Albanian stakeholders.
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Italy–Albania interconnector, Vlore–Puglia interconnector, Vlora–Puglia subsea link, Trans‑Adriatic power link, IT‑AL subsea interconnector, Interconessione Italia‑Albania, Lidhja nënujore Shqipëri‑Itali
As of late 2023, Albania’s Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Belinda Balluku stated that OST and Italian TSO Terna’s working group on an underwater Albania–Italy interconnection would carry out a feasibility study in the following year, scheduling the main technical and economic study work for 2024.
In December 2023, it was announced that an agreement had been reached with the Italian government and the United Arab Emirates for the UAE to become part of the planned Albania–Italy underwater power transmission line project, supporting construction of the subsea energy link as part of Corridor VIII.
In 2023, after many years of inactivity, Albania’s transmission operator OST and Italian TSO Terna revived the Albania–Italy submarine interconnection concept by meeting to agree on starting work on a technical and economic feasibility project and establishing a joint working group dedicated to the planned underwater power link.
In August 2008, authorities in Italy and Albania authorised a privately promoted merchant HVDC interconnection between the Brindisi substation in Italy and Valone in Albania, a 400 kV, 500 MW subsea line referred to as the Italy–Albania interconnection.
On 24 May 2007, the economy ministers of Italy and Albania signed a joint declaration in Bari establishing an integrated Italian–Albanian cooperation project in the electricity sector, marking the first concrete step toward developing an underwater power transmission link between the two countries as part of Corridor VIII.
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