Brussels opens tenders for under sea cables in Portugal

The European Commission has opened two calls for tenders under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), worth €200 million, for projects in high-capacity networks, such as submarine cables in Portugal.

The first call allocates €180 million for the implementation or significant modernisation of transport networks, improving the security, capacity, and resilience of the EU’s digital infrastructure. The call focuses on the 13 Cable Projects of European Interest, identified as priority areas in the Report on the Security and Resilience of EU Submarine Cable Infrastructure.

Among the 13 projects already identified as priorities is the Atlantic Triangle (Portugal – Azores – Madeira), with the aim of replacing the current under sea cables, whose expiration date is estimated for 2028, that connect the mainland to the autonomous regions, focusing on smart connections capable of detecting earthquakes and measuring ocean temperature.

The second call for tenders involves €20 million for projects that provide intelligent upgrades to digital infrastructure, allowing real-time monitoring to protect critical infrastructure.

These upgrades support situational awareness through the collection of environmental or incident data, which, the Commission emphasizes, will strengthen early warning systems, improving the detection of seismic or tsunami activity and the monitoring of the impacts of climate change.

According to a statement from the European Commission, these investments are in line with the objectives of the European Union (EU) Action Plan for Cable Security and will help ensure secure and resilient connectivity.

Source: Eco Online; Credits: EU Commission.