Red Eléctrica has begun repair work on one of the two 30 kV cables of the electricity link that connects the islands of Ibiza and Formentera after it was damaged by a third-party last Saturday, 3 September. The damage, possibly caused by the anchor of a large boat, has not caused any power supply problems, thanks to the fact that the second cable of the interconnection has remained permanently in service, and due to the local generation produced on the island. It should be noted that there has not been any environmental impact, beyond the impact and drag of the cable along the seabed.

Red Eléctrica immediately activated its Contingency Plan, mobilising all the necessary technical and human resources to locate the fault and repair the damage. Thanks to the specialised resources contemplated in this summer's Contingency Plan -such as a mobile laboratory for locating incidents in the electricity cables and an echo sounder- the Company was able to quickly comb and locate the exact point of the fault.

The specific location was found on Sunday, 4 September, at a point on the underwater section of the link 800 metres from the beach of Sa Roqueta in Formentera, an area marked on the nautical charts, which reflect the presence of underwater power cables and the prohibition of anchoring in the area.

It is estimated that the repair can be completed within 2 or 3 weeks, depending mainly on sea conditions. The electricity supply will be guaranteed during the entire period of repair work as the second cable of the link is operational and the local generation from Formentera is also available. In this way, even if the first cable is out of service while it is being repaired, the security of supply criteria will be met at all times on the island of Formentera.

Red Eléctrica has been in contact with the pertinent administrations from the outset to inform them promptly of the incident and the repair schedule. The Company also reserves the right to take any legal action it deems appropriate in view of these events.

It should be highlighted that in 2010 Red Eléctrica acquired the transmission assets of the island - including the current Ibiza-Formentera link - from the previous owner in application of the legal provisions of the electricity sector. Since then, the Company has invested more than 23 million euros in the maintenance of the infrastructure that enables Formentera to be supplied with electricity. The Ibiza-Formentera inter-island interconnection is comprised of two circuits; circuit 1 (first cable) dates back to 1974 and circuit 2 (second cable) dates back to 1982.

The new 132 kV direct current link between the islands of Ibiza and Formentera is currently under construction. It is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2023 and its underwater route will be fully protected, mainly by means of jetting and trenching techniques, which significantly reinforce the integrity of the cable even against external aggressions.

The future underwater interconnection between the two islands includes the deployment of two 132 kV alternating current circuits between the 132 kV Formentera substation and the existing Torrent substation (Santa Eulària des Riu). The link, which will run along the seabed at a maximum depth of 62 metres, will have an underwater section of 27.15 km and an overland section of 5.26 km in Ibiza and 4.8 km in Formentera. The new link will make it possible to fully cover Formentera's electricity demand.