Italy's power grid operator Terna said on Friday work had begun on the eastern section of the Tyrrhenian Link, a flagship subsea interconnector project due to link the southern regions of Campania and Sicily.
The initial phase of submarine cable laying started at the Sicilian side at a location about 50 km east of Palermo, and is being carried out by cable maker Prysmian, Terna said in a statement.
PryTerna is investing a total of around 3.7 billion euros ($3.84 billion) in the project, which includes a western section connecting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia.
The entire infrastructure is expected to be fully operational by 2028, with the first pole of the eastern section entering service in 2026, Terna said.
(Reporting by Romolo Tosiani in Gdansk; Editing by Alvise Armellini and Alison Williams)