Greece – Italy Interconnection (GRITA 2)

Identity

The project concerns a new interconnection between Italy and Greece, strengthening the GR-IT border by the development of a new HVDC link in a bipolar configuration that will operate along with the existing HVDC link between the two countries. The project consists of a new HVDC terrestrial and submarine link of 1000 MW between the Italian and Greek transmission systems. The presence of two interconnections will increase transfer capabilities and guarantee higher reliability in power exchanges between Italy and Greece, in order to address future challenges and EU targets. The new interconnection will connect the new substation Thesprotia in Greece to the Galatina substation in Italy.  
Included in the National Development Plans of the Greek and Italian TSOs, IPTO and TERNA, as well as in ENTSO-E’s Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP), this project of pan-European interest has obtained the European Union’s Project of Common Interest label as PCI 2.17, included in the 2nd Union list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI) and Projects of Mutual Interest (PMI), under the TEN-E Regulation (EU) No 2022/869, adopted by the European Commission on 1 December 2025.

Benefits

The project will enhance integration between the Italian and Greek energy markets by reducing future price differentials between Italy and Greece resulting from the generation shift, enabling lower and more balanced wholesale prices. It will increase transfer capacity and improve the reliability of power exchanges between Italy and Greece, enabling the potential sharing of balancing services. Furthermore, the project will support the energy transition by fostering greater integration of renewable energy sources, which are expected to grow in both countries in the coming years, and by promoting the exchange of renewable energy, while at the same time contributing to the reduction of CO₂ emissions. The ENTSO-E pan-European CBA of the project included in the TYNDP, provides evidence of its significant contribution in achieving the Union’s targets for energy and climate and its climate neutrality objective by 2050 and the benefits it will bring to the Member States, including inter alia affordable energy prices. 

Progress

IPTO and TERNA started their close cooperation on the GRITA 2 project in 2020. By 2022, the feasibility study had been completed, examining different alternatives and configurations to increase the transfer capacity between Greece and Italy up to 1000 MW. GRITA 2 project has been included in ENTSO-E TYNDP since TYNDP2022. In May 2025, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by IPTO and TERNA to govern the main terms and conditions for the design and execution of the new electrical interconnection between the two countries. Since December 2025, GRITA 2 project has been included in the 2nd Union list of Projects of common interest (PCI) and Projects of mutual interest (PMI), as PCI 2.17 Interconnection between Galatina (IT) and Thesprotia (EL).