April 28, 2021 – 12:40 – Economy
British energy company Exlinx wants to build a 3,800-kilometre-long submarine electricity cable between Morocco and the United Kingdom.
Energy generated sustainably in Morocco must be transported to the UK via this cable. The power plant that Xlinks wants to build in Morocco should provide 7 gigawatts of solar energy and 3.5 gigawatts of wind energy.
In an interview with the magazine Photoelectricity Magazine Xlinks CEO Simon Morrish says his company is in discussions with the Moroccan government about the exact location to build the power plant. According to Morrish, there is a good chance that a site in the desert will be chosen. “The low cost of solar and wind generation in the desert means the project could include significant storage space, allowing the project to deliver electricity to the UK overnight,” says the CEO.
The intention is to put four power cables at the end. The first of these cables is scheduled to be commissioned in 2027 and the second in 2029. According to Morrish, three different methods of laying the cable on the seabed were considered. A route was chosen that crosses the territorial waters of several European countries so that the cables can be laid to a maximum depth of 700 metres. Xlinks needs permission from Spain, Portugal and France to build.
