Submarine cable is to connect Morocco with UK for renewable energy transmission

British company Xlinks plans to connect Morocco and the UK with a 3,800 km submarine cable for transmission of electricity, Renen reports.

Xlinks plans to build a 10.5 GW renewable energy complex in Morocco. It will be linked to a 5 GW/25 GWh energy storage facility in a North African country. This energy will be sold to the UK via a high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable connecting Morocco with several locations in Wales and Devon, UK.

Xlinks CEO Simon Morrish says the company is already in talks with Moroccan businesses and the government for sites for energy sites and is working on obtaining permits with relevant departments.

The complex will consist of 7 GW of solar and 3.5 GW of wind power.

Morrish hopes that the first phase of 1.8 GW will be launched in early 2027, and the second cable should be commissioned in 2029.

The organizers of the project have chosen the shallowest route. Throughout its length, the depth does not exceed 700 meters. The submarine cable will cross the territorial waters of France, Portugal and Spain.

Xlinks notes that while solar and wind power are vital to reducing emissions, “solar energy production in the UK is low in winter when energy demand is highest and wind power production can vary greatly from week to week. ".

There is nothing unusual about the transmission of electricity under water. The North Sea has many undersea power lines, and the UK imports approximately 9% of its electricity through such networks. In this African case, however, a rather exotic and long route has been chosen. However, the Australians are also going to supply electricity to Singapore via a submarine "solar cable", and the length of the line is about the same. The Australian government even awarded the project Major Project status.

Tags: solar energy, wind energy, electricity, renewables, investments, infrastructure, technologies, supplier, Africa, Europe

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