https://www.fr24news.com/a/2021/09/...end-clean-energy-from-morocco-to-uk.htmlA 10.5 gigawatt (GW) solar and wind farm will be built in Morocco’s Guelmim-Oued Noun region and will provide the UK with clean energy via submarine cables. The twin 1.8 GW High voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine cables will be the longest in the world.
UK renewable energy company Xlinks is the developer of the project. The Xlinks Morocco-UK power project, as it is known, will cover an area of approximately 579 square miles (1,500 square kilometers) in Morocco and will be connected exclusively to the UK via 2,361 miles (3,800 km). of HVDC submarine cables. They will follow the shallow water route from Morocco to the UK, passing through Spain, Portugal and France.
The project will cost $ 21.9 billion. Xlinks will build 7 GW of solar power and 3.5 GW of wind power, as well as 20 GWh / 5 GW on-site battery storage, in Morocco. The transmission cable will consist of four cables. The first cable will be active in early 2027 and the other three are expected to launch in 2029. An agreement has been reached with National Grid for two 1.8 GW connections at Alverdiscott in Devon.
Xlinks says that the The Morocco-UK power project will be able to power 7 million UK homes by 2030. When completed, the project will be able to supply 8% of Britain’s electricity needs.
Xlinks notes that solar panels generate around three times more electricity in Morocco than in the UK. In addition, solar panels in Morocco will generate up to five times more electricity from January to March than those in the UK.
The project is expected to create nearly 10,000 jobs in Morocco, and 2,000 of these positions will be permanent.
