Terna, Elmed: the transplantation of over 1,700 olive trees begins in Partanna, in the province of Trapani
The aim of these efforts is to preserve the olive trees in the area where the new conversion station for the electrical connection between Italy and Tunisia will go; the trees will be transferred to an area belonging to the Municipality of Partanna, managed by the Rita Atria - Libera Terra social cooperative, which operates on lands confiscated from the mafia; the Group has produced a two-year management plan to ensure constant monitoring and care for the plants
02/24/2025 - 12:08 PM
Project Development
Terna, the Italian national electricity grid operator, has begun the work of digging up and replanting over 1,700 olive trees in the Municipality of Partanna, in the province of Trapani. These efforts by the Group led by Giuseppina Di Foggia are necessary to prepare the area designated for the conversion station for Elmed, the connection between Italy and Tunisia built in collaboration with STEG, the Tunisian national electricity grid operator. The infrastructure, with a total length of around 220 kilometres, will consist largely of submarine cables and will connect the Partanna electrical substation to the Cape Bon substation in Tunisia, via a 600 MW DC power line.
The work, which is being carried out in the municipal territory of Partanna within the Free Municipal Consortium of Trapani, will be conducted with the utmost respect for the existing vegetation and will guarantee the safety of the trees, many of which are decades old.
The site chosen for the replanting of the trees, a kilometre away from their existing location, boasts around 8 hectares and includes olive groves and agricultural land currently used for growing cereal crops. The area, soon to bring immense value to the environment and landscape as a park of olive trees, is managed by the Rita Atria - Libera Terrasocial cooperative, which operates on lands confiscated from the mafia and promotes sustainable and socially conscious agriculture. The cooperative, which has worked in the territory for years, will actively help to maintain and care for the area, integrating the new grove with the existing crops.
Terna, with the support of specialist agronomists, has produced a two-year management plan to ensure constant monitoring and care for the plants, with specific interventions to encourage them to take root and grow. During their transplantation, roots and branches will be pruned to stimulate regrowth, and the trees will be replanted with the same orientation in terms of the cardinal points to prevent any change in their absorption of sunlight. Moreover, to minimise impacts on the trees and on the ecosystem, the work has been scheduled to take place during the vegetative rest period. Terna’s efforts here are part of a broader strategy of environmental regeneration and landscape preservation, in the name of sustainable development and ongoing dialogue with local communities.
Elmed, one of the projects under the Mattei Plan, aims to facilitate the integration of the energy markets in the European Union and the countries of North Africa, increasing the use of renewable sources and the security of the energy supply. As such, it is a vital intervention for the Italian electricity system and for the achievement of the energy transition targets set by the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan.
On the Italian side, the underground cable will run for 18 km from the Castelvetrano (TP) landing point to the future conversion station, close to the existing electrical substation. In Tunisia, meanwhile, the electrical substation will be built in Mlaabi, on the Cape Bon peninsula, with the underground cable stretching around 6 km.
The European Commission has allocated 307 million euros of the total amount invested in the project, through the Connecting Europe Facility (“CEF”) programme. It is the first time that the European Union has funded a project involving a non-Member State, a testament to the significance of this interconnection project.
