The Savoie-Piémont electrical interconnection came into partial operation on Monday, after seven years of work, before being fully commissioned in 2023, RTE, the French high-voltage network operator, announced on Tuesday.
This interconnection will consist of a 190km double underground power link connecting France (at Saint-Hélène-du-Lac, south-east of Chambéry) and Italy (at Piossasco, near Turin).
The first line was put into service on Monday and allows at this stage to the whole to function at 50% of its capacities, that is to say 600 megawatts (MW), the equivalent of one and a half times the consumption of the Savoy, specifies RTE.
The complete interconnection will increase the electrical exchanges between France and Italy, by increasing their exchange capacities by an additional 1,200 MW (2x 600 MW).
France has 50 cross-border connections. These interconnections ensure solidarity between countries, reduce the risk of power cuts on both sides, support the development of renewable energies – which are intermittent and cannot be stored – and enable market coupling to promote price competitiveness, explains RTE.
By 2035, the French company plans to double the capacity of its interconnections.
