A cable ship has begun laying the underwater power cable between La Gomera and Tenerife.

The cable-laying vessel Cable Enterprise, one of Prysmian's most modern, has begun laying an underwater cable between La Gomera and Tenerife. The work started in the port of San Sebastián de La Gomera.

The Cabildo (local government) says this is an important stage of the project, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Thanks to this connection, La Gomera will have a stable electricity supply, be able to use more renewable energy sources, and reduce electricity production costs, as the energy systems of both islands will be connected. This was reported by Red Eléctrica (the company in charge of the electricity grids).

The Cable Enterprise arrived last week at the port of Granadilla in Tenerife to prepare for the cable laying.

Red Eléctrica, together with the Spanish government, the government of the Canary Islands, the local authorities of La Gomera and Tenerife, the municipalities, and the port authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, are working on this project.

The President of the Cabildo of La Gomera, Casimiro Curbelo, stressed that this is a very important moment for the island, as "we are taking a big step towards the energy future." He added that the laying of the cable is the result of "many years of effort, negotiations and cooperation between various organizations and Red Eléctrica to provide people with reliable, clean and stable energy."

Curbelo also noted that this connection will allow the island to "move to a greener model, use all the renewable energy we have, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and even supply surplus energy to Tenerife."

He stressed that this project is "an example of how the joint work of government and business can create infrastructure that will change the present and future of the region."

The new double underwater power line will connect the new El Palmar substations in La Gomera and Chío in Tenerife.

Red Eléctrica explained that the work will take a month. First, the first 66 kV circuit will be laid from La Gomera to Punta Blanca in Tenerife. Then the Cable Enterprise will return to La Gomera to lay the second circuit. All work is scheduled to be completed in early October, and the entire connection will be fully connected by the end of the year.

This 66 kV double-circuit underground-underwater line has a capacity of 50 MVA per circuit. The underwater part of the cable is about 36 kilometers long and runs at a depth of up to 1145 meters. There are also two land sections on La Gomera and Tenerife.

According to experts, this is the deepest 66 kV AC underwater connection in the world. Therefore, the cable is made of strong but lightweight materials to withstand harsh conditions.

Due to the great length and complexity of the project, it was important to protect the marine flora and fauna during the cable's landfall on both islands. Special consideration was given to the unique volcanic soils. For this purpose, a method of directional drilling was used, which allows the cable to be laid underground through a tunnel and brought to the sea hundreds of meters from the shore, so as not to harm marine life.

Also, the route of the connection was designed to minimize the impact on the environment and maximize the protection of vegetation and animals.

The underwater connection between Tenerife and La Gomera, which is scheduled to be launched by the end of the year, is part of the 2021-2026 electricity grid development plan. It includes an underground-underwater power line and two new substations: El Palmar in La Gomera and Chío in Tenerife.