The laying of the submarine cable which will link Malta to the European electricity grid in Sicily started this morning, Enemalta announced.

The laying of the interconnector cable was taken in hand at Bahar ic-Caghaq.

Today’'s operation saw the submarine cable from the specialised ship Nexans Skagerrak being pulled towards the Maghtab terminal station.

The cable was first passed through a 220m underwater tunnel starting from the middle of Qalet Marku bay, and then beneath the Coast Road, ending in an 850m culvert which leads to the Maghtab terminal station.

As soon as the cable is secured, the Nexans Skagerrak will start laying the cable towards Sicily.

The underwater cable will be protected from anchors and fishing nets up to 2km offshore with cast iron shells which will also minimise damage to the posedonia meadows. The rest of the cable will be buried in the seabed.

The laying of the 100km cable to Ragusa will be carried out in two stages of 50km each.

The tunnel through which the interconnector will pass at Maghtab.

The €182 million cable-laying contract with French firm Nexans was signed two years ago.

Nexans will be laying a single alternating-current cable with a carrying capacity of 200 megawatts.

Power will flow from Sicily to the Maghtab station and then join the Malta power grid through a new distribution centre in Kappara.

The project is due to be completed in the first quarter of next year.