NextGeo awarded contract for HVDC connector survey

The Italian HVDC project, which will connect Lazio and Lombardy along a marine route of approximately 280 km, is part of Terna’s ‘Hypergrid’ initiative, which aims to increase energy flows between Central-Southern Italy and the North.

The award follows the tender procedure launched in May 2025. At the end of the process, following a technical and economic evaluation and a subsequent negotiation phase, a consortium led by NextGeo achieved the highest overall score, ranking first and securing the maximum contract value, exceeding €28M (US$33M).

The contract includes preliminary marine surveys and environmental characterisation along the route for the HVDC link.

The objective is to perform high-precision surveys for cable corridors to gather detailed information on seabed morphology, stratigraphy, sediment characteristics, and marine life in nearshore and offshore areas.

The submarine cable section will run from Montalto di Castro (Viterbo) to an area near Avenza (Massa-Carrara).

NextGeo said the survey will commence in the second half of 2026 and will use multiple survey vessels.