Messina I
CrossingOperationalIT1,000 MW380 kV1984
Also known as:Messina I, Stretto di Messina (Messina I), Pylon di Messina, Messina–Cannitello crossing, Torre Faro–Cannitello
Status:Operational
Capacity:1,000 MW
Project Company:Terna S.p.A.
Type:crossing
Website:download.terna.it
Messina I (the Messina Strait submarine crossing) is the domestic electrical crossing that links the Calabria and Sicily transmission systems across the Strait of Messina. The crossing was originally implemented as an AC submarine cable crossing associated with the regional Sorgente–Rizziconi corridor; the historic submarine circuit across the strait was...
Supply Chain (3)
Project Timeline (5)
6 Apr 2010Cable Supplier Selected
Terna S.p.A. Rete Elettrica Nazionale awarded Prysmian a €300 million turnkey contract to supply the new extra‑high‑voltage submarine power link across the Strait of Messina, involving engineering, manufacturing, installation and commissioning of two 380 kV AC cable circuits between the Villafranca Tirrena (Sicily) and Scilla (Calabria) substations with a total transmission capacity of 2,000 MW. The system, comprising around 260 km of cable (including approximately 38 km submarine and 5.4 km on land), is intended to strengthen the interconnection between the Sicilian and mainland Italian grids and was expected at the time to be completed by the end of 2013.
20 Feb 2009Planning Consent Awarded
Authority: Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico · Licence: Authorization decree for construction and operation of the Villafranca Tirrena–Scilla section of the 380 kV "Sorgente–Rizziconi" interconnector
On 20 February 2009 the Italian Ministry of Economic Development issued an authorization decree granting Terna S.p.A. permission to construct and operate the 380 kV "Sorgente–Rizziconi" interconnector section between Villafranca Tirrena (Sicily) and Scilla (Calabria), covering the submarine and underground cable works across the Strait of Messina. This planning consent, issued with the agreement of the Calabria and Sicilian regional authorities, allowed the cable sections not subject to EIA to proceed as an essential reinforcement of the Sicily–mainland connection.
21 Dec 2006Eia Submitted
Authority: Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Sicurezza Energetica · Licence: Valutazione di Impatto Ambientale (VIA) per l'elettrodotto a 380 kV in doppia terna Sorgente-Rizziconi
On 21 December 2006, Terna Rete Italia S.p.A. submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment (VIA) application to the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) for the 380 kV double-circuit Sorgente–Rizziconi overhead line project, which crosses the regions of Sicily and Calabria, including the provinces of Reggio Calabria and Messina.
1984Commercial Operations Full Power
A 380 kV, 1,000 MW alternating-current power link across the Strait of Messina, installed by Pirelli Cables (now part of Prysmian), entered service in 1984, connecting the power grids of Sicily and Calabria. This interconnector, referred to as the existing link in later Prysmian–Terna documentation, has since provided the operational cross-strait transmission capacity that the subsequent 2,000 MW project was designed to enhance.
Date TBDOnshore Construction Start
Terna stated that for the 380 kV Sorgente (ME)–Rizziconi (RC) interconnector between Sicily and Calabria, the cable section of the project already had construction sites open, while the overhead line section was still in the authorisation phase, indicating that onshore construction for the cable works had begun.