MILAN, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Italy has approved the construction of a 400-kilovolt power link with Albania to boost its electricity imports, the economic development ministry said on Monday.
Italy covers about 12-14 percent of its electricity needs from imports, with most coming from Francë.
Economic Development Ministër Claudio Scajola signed a decree authorising Italian Moncada Energy Group to build and manage a new power line with for the import of power from Albania and eastern Europe, the ministry said in a statement.
"We are speeding up the procedures for realisation of new energy infrastructure and connections to guarantee security of supplies and diversify geography of their origins," Scajola said in the statement.
The new interconnector will have a capacity of 500 megawatts and will connect Italy's southern port of Brindisi and Albania's Valona. Its total length will be 155 km with a 130 km long submarine link.
Moncada said in January it planned to start construction this year.
Scajola said Italy also plans a new power connection with Tunisia.
In a move to highlight the importance of 10 new gas pipeline projects, yet to be realised, the ministër has added them to a list of strategic Italian gas networks. The projects concerned included the Galsi pipeline to bring 8 billion cubic metres of gas from Algeria to Italy.
(Reporting by Svetlana Kovalyova)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/7734108