Preliminary work for the building of an undersea gas pipeline connecting Malta to the European mainland is progressing, with the Energy and Water Agency issuing three calls for tenders related to the project.

The three calls are related to undertaking a preliminary marine route survey assessing the undersea route between Delimara and Gela, Sicily, carrying out Environmental Impact Assessment studies in both Malta and Italy, and conducting front-end engineering design studies.

While the first call for tender expires on July 26, the other two run until August 9.

Details of all three public contracts have been published on the government’s electronic tendering portal.

Plans for a Malta-Italy gas pipeline got off the ground at the end of last year, when both Malta and Italy launched permitting procedures. A first public consultation process was launched at the end of March this year.

Once completed, the pipeline will connect Malta to the Trans-European Gas Network. The project will be 50 per cent co-financed through EU funding.

The government has said it aims to have a functional pipeline by 2024.