Ambitious project to bring renewable energy via submarine cable from Morocco to the UK

Renewable energy is an issue that has become increasingly important in almost all countries of the world in recent years. This solar, wind or fusion energyAs countries look for alternatives to combat climate change and its consequences, investments in the region are increasing.

Now British startup Xlinks is developing a model aims to send renewable solar and wind electricity from Morocco to the UK via undersea cable — seems like an almost impossible idea, but the company is already moving forward with the project.

Xlinks has announced a plan to harvest renewable electricity in the Guelmim Oued Noun region in southern Morocco. Supply to the UK will be carried out as follows: Submarine cables passing through Portuguese, Spanish and French waters — These cables will be placed approximately 3,800 kilometers under the sea. The company plans to bring electricity to Alverdiscott, a village where they envision interconnecting the national grid.

In a message sent to the website Finance TimesXlinks chairman Sir Dave Lewis notes: Project costs are estimated at between £20bn and £22bn. They have only managed to raise £45 million in investment rounds to date, but it is likely they will raise all of the money; According to the UK’s energy minister, Claire Coutinho, the project is of ‘national importance’.

“The proposed project could play a key role in delivering an energy system that meets the UK’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and the government’s objectives of creating a safe, reliable and affordable energy supply for consumers,” Coutinho said.

Sustainable energy with submarine cable?

Xlinks claims it will harvest 7 Gigawatts (GW) of energy from a solar farm and 3.5 GW from wind turbines, making it possible to power more than seven million homes in the UK by 2030. A total of 10.5 GW will have the capacity to provide approximately 8% of the energy. all the electricity needed to power the country.

Although similar projects have failed in recent years, there is a success story in the country. An interconnected submarine cable between the United Kingdom and Norway became operational in 2021; both countries use it to import energy at peak times.

In any case, it is important to emphasize that the startup still has a lot of work to do, as it needs to raise billions of pounds and build a strong subsea cable; finally, It will be considered the world’s longest high voltage cable used underwater.. Fortunately, this could be a big step towards accelerating the energy transition in the UK, with the aim of increasing the use of clean energy.

“This is a significant milestone for our project and provides certainty and clarity around the regulatory process and project approval timelines. The decision reflects the real difference our project can make to the country’s climate commitments and security energy,” says Simon Morrish, CEO of Xlinks. .

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