The Planning Authority has published the site plans showing the proposed route for the second fibre optic cable between Malta and Gozo.

The proposal, would see the cable start in Xewkija, Gozo, head to Il-Fessej. The cable will then be laid underwater and would connect to Malta in Golden Bay. From Golden Bay, the cable would be laid to Zebbiegh, where the cable will end. The map was submitted in July 2017.

In January, it was announced that Malta Enterprise had issued a call for tenders for the €3.5 million project.

The planning application was filed on 30 June 2017, by Mario Galea, head of Malta Enterprise.

The Superintendance of Cultural Heritage, in a note to the Planning Authority in November 2017, stated that the application proposes an extensive infrastructural project extending through areas of high landscape value and through areas of archaeological potential. “The full extent of potential impact is not clearly indicated in the documentation as received, though it is likely that tracts of the project will require monitoring by an archaeologist under the direction of the Superintendence, to mitigate the risk to the cultural heritage. In order to further assess this application and ensure the safeguard of the cultural heritage, the superintendence will require further information on the proposed works, including more detailed drawings. To this end, the Superintendence will be communicating directly with the applicant, and will comment further on this application.”

The Environment and Resources Authority, in their submission last November, note that following meetings, several routes were considered and it was concluded that this was the preferred route to be pursued, i.e. from Ras il-ƪobz to Ir-Ramla tal-Mixquqa. “ERA also agrees that, prima facie, this route is preferable from an environmental point of view, also considering the limited range of options that are reasonably available and the greater impacts that other alternatives would entail. This position also takes into account the indications that known submarine features, such as the reefs/shoals at Ras il-Qammieƫ, Ras il-Waƫx and Ras il-Pellegrin, will be avoided at source.” The ERA mentioned a number of conditions to be put in place if the project is approved.