The second electric cable between the Balearic Islands and the Iberian Peninsula will reduce traffic through residential areas by 67%.

PalmThe final land route of the second electricity link between the Balearic Islands and the Iberian Peninsula will reduce its passage through residential areas by 67% thanks to the development of roads and public roads. The panel formed by the Government, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, the Consell de Mallorca, the Alcúdia City Council, Red Eléctrica, and the platform of Alcúdia Residents Affected by the Cable (VAAC) reached a unanimous agreement on the route this Thursday.

The agreed-upon route was defined after months of work, during which different alternatives were analyzed until the option that, in addition to having the required technical, environmental, and regulatory approvals, has garnered the greatest social support was found. The main characteristic of the final route is the significant reduction in the connection's passage through residential areas, thanks to the development of roads and public roads by the various administrations involved.

The converter station will be located in the Na Lloreta industrial estate, and the connection landing point will be in the Herradura area, between the bays of Alcudia and Pollença, two aspects previously agreed upon. This way, according to the Government, the passage through residential areas will be reduced by 67% and it will be compatible with a future electrical interconnection between Mallorca and Menorca.

This new route alternative has been formalized through an updated project and environmental impact study, which have been submitted to the Government by Red Eléctrica. This update must be subject to a new process of public information, environmental assessment, and administrative processing to obtain the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and the required authorizations.

390 underwater kilometers

The future second electricity link will connect the Fradell converter station (Castellón) via a 2,200-megawatt (MW) link with a length of approximately 400 kilometers, of which 390 will be submarine and the rest buried.

This is a "strategic project" for the entire Balearic electricity system, as it will represent a "very important reinforcement for the quality and guarantee of security of supply, progress towards ecological transition objectives, and a reduced use of fossil fuels in the archipelago's electricity generation system." The benefits of the first interconnection, in service since 2012, will be "more than doubled" with the second link. Both will be able to supply 65 percent of the Balearic Islands' electricity demand, which will mean a reduction of more than 900,000 tons of CO₂ emissions annually and a cost saving for the electricity system of approximately €150 million annually.

1.169 billion from the Spanish government

The Undersecretary of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Miguel González Suela, emphasized that the infrastructure will involve an investment of €1.169 billion from the Spanish government. This amount is included in the 2021-2026 Electricity Planning.

The Government Delegate in the Balearic Islands, Alfonso Rodríguez, praised the "enormous economic commitment" made by the Spanish government to the archipelago's energy transition, as well as its "capacity for dialogue and consultation."