#Ternapeople Riccardo De Zan

Riccardo De Zan is Terna's «interconnections man». In practice one could say that it is he (along with the other men and women in the group) who keeps Italy and, looking beyond the Alps or the Adriatic, part of Europe turned on. An exaggeration? Not really. At Terna since 2006, in these years De Zan has been involved in all the most important electricity interconnection projects involving Italy and therefore Terna as grid operator. To mention just a few of the most important: the Sorgente-Rizziconi line between Calabria and Sicily, operational since 2016, the electric «bridge» between Italy and Montenegro inaugurated last November by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and which started operating at the end of the year. And the extra-high-voltage direct current connection between Italy and France, a plan considered strategic for the whole of Europe that is currently being implemented between Val d'Aosta and Savoy. Let's not forget the Sa.Co.I., the connection between Sardinia, Corsica and mainland Italy.

An engineer with a warm and friendly air who, at first impression has none of the clichés of strictness and rigour that are often attributed to people who do his job. He is also a sportsman, passionate about running, swimming and cycling. «I also go sailing», he tells us, but in this case, more than passion it’s a question of husbandly duties. «My wife forces me» he specifies. We asked him to explain what his job entails and what benefits such complex infrastructures bring to the community, despite not being given the due importance simply because, being underground or undersea cables, they are not seen. A long chat followed in which he also told us about his recent meeting with President Mattarella and the time when, trying to lay a cable, he found himself faced with thousands of unmapped war time bombs.

Mr De Zan, have you always been involved in interconnections?

«In the past, as an engineer, I worked on projects for power plants and railways. Thirteen years ago I joined Terna and immediately started working on interconnection works, both internal and towards foreign countries. My first project was the Sorgente-Rizziconi connection, the undersea cable connecting Calabria and Sicily. In 2013 I became responsible for the division that deals with the design and execution of two-way direct current projects, the so-called HVDC, and undersea connections. We're talking about high-voltage lines that can both import and export electricity.»

Have you ever calculated how many miles of interconnections you've been responsible for over the years?

«It's difficult to calculate accurately because the kilometres covered are a combination of both undersea and underground. If I had to sum the lengths of the three main projects that I have supervised over the last 10 years, we might reach about 600 kilometres. The Italy-France power line is not yet in service, but we have already built 85 kilometres of cables, the 455 kilometres of Italy-Montenegro were inaugurated in mid-November and came into operation at the end of December 2019. The third is the Sorgente-Rizziconi line, which has been operational since May 2016 and is 43 kilometres long. To these I could also add the first undersea electrical connection between Capri and Naples that we put into service in 2017. It cannot be considered an interconnection in the strictest sense, but it was the first electrical connection made with the island. Among other things, we just laid the second cable a few days ago, and we expect an influx of electricity by the end of the year.»

How would you explain to non-experts the benefit that the projects you help to implement bring to the Italian and international community?

«One of the main benefits is undoubtedly the increased security that these works give the grid. These are projects that allow for a more efficient exchange between markets and thus permit a reduction in prices. The Sorgente-Rizziconi, to give a practical example, has consistently contributed to reducing the price difference between Sicily and the rest of Italy, with obvious benefits to the whole electrical system. In the future, moreover, interconnections will become increasingly important as they accompany the energy transition and decarbonisation process. We have already embarked on this with the Tyrrenian Link which will connect Campania, Sicily and Sardinia. It is a 2000 km monster that will allow the implementation of the progressive decarbonisation plan of the territorial electrical system. It is an important project both in terms of its benefits and the effects it will have in the long term.»

Let's get back to Italy-Montenegro. The project, as you said, will come into operation at the end of the year. Can you tell us a key moment that characterized the realization of this work?

«Even with careful project planning and risk analysis, contingencies are always lurking around the corner. Italy-Montenegro is emblematic of what I just said. One of the most critical moments arrived when we realized that the sea path on which we were supposed to lay the cable was littered with bombs.»

Bombs?

«Yes, thousands of unmapped war ordnances dating back to World War II and the Balkan war. We are talking about a real wall of bombs scattered above and below the seabed that forced us to almost start from scratch. It took us several months to try to resolve the situation, trying to find out if someone had already investigated and could give us references, but we had no answers. We finally managed to find an alternative and safe route. It was a bit of an experience, so to speak.»

How did you tell President Mattarella about the project on the day of the inauguration?

«I described the cable that was laid in the sea, the longest and deepest in the Mediterranean, how it is laid. I told him about how the ships operate, which are out and out floating workshops. The President was very friendly and showed interest. Something that struck me. He asked us a lot of questions. Maybe he had prepared them. He had done his homework.»

Which of those you told us about is the project that sticks in your mind the most?

«Maybe the Source-Rizziconi. It's a project that started with me and that involved all of us at Terna a lot emotionally. "Imagine what it's like to see dozens of miners working in the dark and cold to build a 3 kilometre tunnel, watching people dig with their hands to retrieve the tunnelling machines that are stuck". It was a job with a lot of problems, starting with the bankruptcy of the contractor, which emotionally had a bigger impact than the other problems. Also from a technical standpoint it was very demanding, since we had to lay the cable under the Strait of Sicily and up the mountain as far as Scylla.»

What about the project made you lose the most sleep, if anything?

«The Italy-France Interconnection. It is a very long and complex connection, managed by Terna in partnership with France and private partners. It's 95 kilometres in Italy and as many in France, all underground. When it snows you have to stop the work, you are subject to the rules of the game set by the motorway authorities. Every metre is a conquest because the interconnection goes through 24 existing viaducts. We had to adapt the cable to the infrastructure and tackle all the problems currently affecting Italian viaducts and motorways.»

Do you think it is easier to deal with the French, the Montenegrins or the Italians?

«The Italians. We Italians have the advantage/disadvantage of always having to come up with something. We are more willing to adapt and therefore more flexible. The Italian mentality allows you to solve problems that with another attitude would take much longer and be more difficult.»