The Malta-Sicily interconnector should be back in operation next month, following repairs costing an estimated €11 million. 

The undersea cable was damaged last December by a ship’s anchor, with the damage causing a nationwide blackout on December 23 and a series of power cuts in subsequent weeks. 

A significant part of the cable, not just the torn section, was damaged by the anchor. 

It is now being repaired by Nexans, a France-based international cabling company which first supplied and installed the interconnector. 

Energy Minister Michael Farrugia said on Friday that the authorities had identified the ship which had caused the damage.

The matter is now with insurance firms, which are evaluating damage and costs, he said. Enemalta filed an insurance claim related to the damage last January. 

A damage survey has also been handed over to the relevant stakeholders in recent weeks. 

The €11 million cost of the repairs will be covered by Enemalta’s insurance policy, the minister said. 

Repair process

A repair barge is expected to dock at Marsaxlokk later on Friday to retrieve a spare section of cable kept in storage for contigency purposes. It will then head back out to sea to replace the damaged section and dig a fresh trench to lay it in. 

Once buried, the cable can be tested, and then switched back on. 

Throughout this process, the site will be monitored around the clock to ensure that no further damage is incurred to the cable before it is properly put in place.