Terna Begins Installation of 1,000 MW VSC HVDC Converter Transformers for the Tyrrhenian Link Eastern Branch

Advancing Italy’s flagship underwater electricity superhighway, Italian transmission system operator Terna has commenced on-site installation of heavy-duty H...

Advancing Italy’s flagship underwater electricity superhighway, Italian transmission system operator Terna has commenced on-site installation of heavy-duty HVDC converter transformers for the 1,000 MW Tyrrhenian Link Eastern Branch connecting Sicily with the Italian mainland.

Connecting Sicily with Mainland Italy at ±500 kV DC

The Tyrrhenian Link East connects the 400 kV substation at Battipaglia in Campania to Termini Imerese in Sicily via a 490 km subsea cable traversing water depths exceeding 2,150 meters in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Civil construction of the converter halls is now complete, allowing the transport and setting of six 420 MVA single-phase converter transformers engineered to withstand combined AC/DC dielectric stresses and severe Mediterranean maritime salinity.

Decongesting Renewable Corridors Across Southern Italy

By facilitating bidirectional 1,000 MW power transfers, the project will eliminate transmission bottlenecks that currently force the curtailment of Sicilian solar and onshore wind farms during midday peak production.

Cable laying by the Leonardo da Vinci vessel is over 75% complete, with system testing scheduled for late 2027 ahead of full commercial operation in 2028 under Terna’s €21 billion National Development Plan.