Tyrrhenian Link completes submarine works as energy security fears mount - Apr 9, 2026

As of April 9, today’s news sees the completion of Terna's Tyrrhenian Link submarine works and ongoing geopolitical tensions affecting energy supplies. The eastern section of the Tyrrhenian Link, Terna’s strategic HVDC interconnection between Campania, Sicily, and Sardinia, has completed its submarine works between Campania and Sicily within twelve months. Prysmian carried out the installation of the two 490-km submarine cables over 150 days of naval operations, using its vessels Leonardo da Vinci and Monna Lisa, supported by advanced technologies and continuous route monitoring. With a total investment of around 3.7 billion euros, the Tyrrhenian Link is intended to increase exchange capacity, strengthen the reliability and resilience of Italy’s transmission grid, and support the country’s decarbonization targets. The eastern section is also one of three Terna projects included in the European REPowerEU program, with funding of 500 million euros. In global developments, tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate. Israel has intensified its military actions in Lebanon, undermining a truce brokered by former President Donald Trump that was aimed at de-escalating US-Iran conflicts. This has severe implications for global energy supplies, with Iran maintaining a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, causing unprecedented disruptions. As tensions rise, prices for oil and LNG have soared to record levels, exacerbating concerns over energy security, particularly for poorer countries in Asia reliant on fuel imports. Turning to market insights, the copper market is witnessing volatility as prices dipped following doubts about the viability of the US-Iran ceasefire, despite a temporary easing of macroeconomic worries. As of this week, copper was trading significantly lower than its recent highs. Compounding matters, China reported a substantial decrease in copper imports, aligning with its strategy to resist paying inflated prices, signaling a shift in market dynamics as domestic production capacity increases. Intel and Google have announced a strengthened partnership aimed at advancing AI-focused computing. This collaboration will center around the development of custom infrastructure processors and further deployment of Intel’s Xeon processors, responding to the growing demand for CPUs capable of managing heavy AI workloads.