Four consortia have submitted proposals to develop a dedicated renewable-energy connection between North Africa and Malta, opening the next phase of a project that could allow the Mediterranean island to import solar and wind power directly from the African continent. The proposals were submitted to state-owned Interconnect Malta under a Preliminary Market Consultation (PMC), which is being used to assess whether the project is technically and commercially viable before Malta commits to a formal procurement process.
The submissions are non-binding. Interconnect Malta will now assess the technical and financial details, including the likely cost of electricity delivered through the proposed connection. The initiative could eventually see renewable electricity generated in North Africa transmitted to Malta through a dedicated submarine cable.
Malta wants 0.8 TWh of renewable electricity
The project is designed around the potential import of about 0.8 terawatt-hours of renewable electricity a year. That would represent roughly a quarter of Malta’s projected annual electricity demand, making the proposed connection a significant addition to the country’s power system. The model under consideration would involve a 25-year fixed-price Contract for Difference, giving Malta longer-term price certainty while providing investors with a predictable revenue structure.
The arrangement would also reduce the exposure of Maltese consumers to swings in fossil-fuel prices. North Africa is being considered because of its substantial solar and wind resources, with Tunisia and Morocco among the potential connection points. The concept effectively links North Africa’s renewable-energy potential with Malta’s need for additional electricity supply.
Four consortia have entered the process
Interconnect Malta confirmed that four groups submitted proposals by the July 31 deadline. The deadline had initially been set for May but was extended following strong interest from potential participants. The companies involved have not been publicly identified at this stage. Interconnect Malta said the submissions came from consortia bringing together local and international companies with experience across energy, infrastructure, engineering and project development.
Their proposals will now be evaluated to determine whether the project can deliver renewable electricity at a competitive cost. That assessment will be important because the submarine cable itself is only one part of the proposed system. The project would also require renewable generation capacity in North Africa and the infrastructure needed to connect that generation to Malta.
The project would change how Malta sources renewable power
Malta already relies heavily on electricity imports and interconnection as part of its energy system. A dedicated North Africa renewable link would give the country another source of electricity while allowing it to access renewable generation outside its relatively limited domestic land area. It would also diversify Malta’s electricity supply routes.
For Malta, that is as much an energy-security issue as it is a decarbonisation strategy. The proposed connection would allow renewable electricity produced where solar and wind resources are stronger to be transported across the Mediterranean to consumers in Malta.
North Africa gets access to a new export market
The project could also create a new commercial opportunity for renewable-energy developers in North Africa. Instead of renewable projects being built solely to serve domestic electricity demand, some generation could potentially be developed with European electricity markets in mind. That could attract additional investment into solar and wind projects in countries such as Tunisia or Morocco. The economic value would therefore extend beyond the cable itself, potentially creating demand for new generation, transmission infrastructure and associated services on the African side.
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The four submissions do not mean Malta has awarded a contract or committed to building the link. Interconnect Malta will first examine the technical and financial proposals and use the results to establish the project’s feasibility and indicative electricity prices. The findings will then help the Maltese government determine whether to proceed to a formal procurement process.
A procurement could potentially follow in late 2026 or early 2027. If the project moves forward, it would become another major piece of Malta’s strategy to diversify its electricity supply while increasing the share of renewable energy in the system. For now, however, the significance of the four proposals is simpler: investors have shown enough interest for Malta to take the idea of importing renewable electricity from North Africa to the next stage.
