The second electricity connection between the mainland and Mallorca is expected to be operational by 2030. The cost, according to Red Eléctrica's calculations, will be more than double that for the first connection from Sagunto in Valencia to Santa Ponsa - one billion euros as opposed to 420 million. This cost includes storage batteries in Menorca and Ibiza and a synchro compensator to provide stability to the entire network.
The cable, or rather cables as there are three of them, will go from Sagunto to Sa Ferradura in Alcudia on the Bay of Pollensa. The land route will be to the Sant Martí substation by the Es Murterar power station in Alcudia, where a converter station will have to be built (as was the case in Santa Ponsa).
There needs to be a minimum distance between these three cables of between 25 and 50 metres, although at greater depths this distance will be much greater. The maximum depth is 1,613 metres; the distance between each cable will be 750 metres.
Red Eléctrica, responsible for Spain's national grid, calculates that 65% of average annual electricity demand in the Balearics will be covered by the two links. CO2 emissions will be reduced by 905,000 tonnes per annum because of less need for fossil fuels. There will be an annual saving of 149 million euros.
By bringing the connection to Alcudia, it will not be necessary to build a new onshore transmission network as one already exists. Were it to arrive in the south of the island, it would be necessary to build a new transmission network. The whole length of the second link will be 389.8 kilometres, whereas the first was 237.
The precise land route has yet to be decided, although there is clearly a preferred route. Both the entry point and the land route have caused considerable controversy in Alcudia. While there have been objections to the cable full stop, a chief argument has been that it should arrive in Puerto Alcudia (Bay of Alcudia) instead. An underground high-tension cable between the port and the substation was laid some years ago.
Opposition has been on natural heritage and health grounds. Posdionia sea grass meadows have been a factor in influencing the decision. Red Eléctrica argues that it has opted for a route with the least impact on posidonia - 974.5 square metres. In the case of the Santa Ponsa connection, which became operational in 2012, the impact was 1,920 square metres.