Manufacturing Update

In April 2026, Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) were completed on two critical Malta–Sicily Cable Link 2 (IC2) equipment packages: the first half of the Nexans 220 kV three-core HVAC submarine cable manufactured at Nexans's Charleston, South Carolina plant in the United States, and the BEST-manufactured 245 kV high-voltage equipment in Turkey (the 1×250 MVA autotransformer and 1×120 MVAr and 1×240 MVAr variable shunt reactors supplied through AG Installations). FAT completion on the first half of the submarine cable confirms that approximately 50 km of the 99 km subsea cable production has passed type-test and routine-test acceptance criteria — covering electrical, mechanical and qualification testing of the conductor, XLPE insulation, lead sheath, polymer outer protection and integrated optical fibres. Production of the second half remains ongoing at Charleston ahead of shipment to the Mediterranean. FAT completion on the BEST-built HV equipment de-risks the Magħtab and Ragusa substation packages and clears the path for shipment and site installation in advance of subsea cable laying activities, scheduled to commence in Q3 2026 per InterConnect Malta's published timeline. The simultaneous milestones on cable and substation equipment maintain alignment with the project's Q1 2027 commissioning target.