Nexans has completed installation of the high-voltage subsea cable for Italyโs Tyrrhenian Link project, achieving a world-record laying depth of 2,150 meters for a 500 kV HVDC connection.
A press release said the depth record was set during offshore operations in December 2025 and confirmed with the final pull-in on Jan. 1, 2026. That second pull-in operation established the physical connection between Terra Mala, Sardinia, and Fiumetorto, Sicily, marking completion of all high-voltage subsea cable laying on the projectโs western section.
Developed by Italian transmission system operator Terna, the Tyrrhenian Link is a 500 kV HVDC interconnection designed to strengthen Italyโs grid by linking Sardinia, Sicily and the mainland. Nexansโ scope on the western section between Terra Mala and Fiumetorto covered about 480 km of deep-water cable installed in two campaigns of roughly 200 km and 280 km. The full link consists of two 500 kV HVDC subsea connections, each about 970 km long, with total transmission capacity of 1,000 MW.
A WJI report in March detailed the demanding conditions aboard the Nexans Aurora, where crews maintained precise control as the 500 kV cable descended more than two kilometers onto steep seabed terrain. The work required extensive bathymetric mapping, route refinement, tension management, and real-time coordination among survey teams, ROV pilots and vessel operators. That same discipline carried through to the final pull-in phase.
โInstalling a 500 kV HVDC cable at these depths requires exceptional precision and discipline across engineering, manufacturing, route preparation and vessel operations,โ said Pascal Radue, executive vice president of PWR Transmission at Nexans. โThese milestones reflect the strength of our technology, the performance of the Nexans Aurora, and the expertise of our teams throughout the project.โ
Giuseppina Di Foggia, Ternaโs CEO and general manager, said the achievement supports Italyโs broader energy goals.
โThe Tyrrhenian Link has reached a depth of 2,150 meters, setting a world record for a submarine power cable,โ she said. โThis milestone demonstrates Ternaโs ability to manage highly complex technological challenges and deliver infrastructure that strengthens the stability, security and adequacy of Italyโs electricity system.โ
According to Nexans and Terna, completion of the record-setting installation expands the operational envelope for deep-water HVDC links and establishes a new reference point for future complex subsea transmission projects.
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