Italy is expected to issue permits for the electricity cable connecting Malta to the European power grid in September, according to the Finance Minister.

The permit is necessary for the interconnector project to finish on time and start supplying Malta with electricity from the European mainland at the end of 2013. The project will cost €200 million.

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech yesterday visited the Magħtab site where the undersea cable will make landfall.

The building will house equipment that will reduce the voltage to the Maltese standard.

A four-kilometre long tunnel connecting the Magħtab site with the Kappara distribution centre will soon start to be excavated. The electricity from Europe will feed into the national grid at Kappara.

“The Italian authorities have promised to issue the permits by September. The process is less straightforward in Italy where there are local, regional and national authorities to contend with,” Mr Fenech said yesterday.

Last month the minister was in Sicily discussing the matter with regional authorities. The cable will connect Malta to Ragusa in the south of Sicily.

Mr Fenech said it will supply Malta with 200MW of energy and in national emergencies can supply an extra 160MW for one hour.

Production of the cable has already started and apart from carrying electricity it will also provide space for two fibre optic cables.

The aged Marsa power station, which currently operates in breach of EU directives, will only be shut down permanently once the cable comes on stream.

“Half of the Marsa power station will be closed when the Delimara extension becomes operational and the other half will be shut down when the cable starts supplying electricity,” Mr Fenech said.

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