African renewable energy to power UK homes with new subsea cable
Morocco: Octopus Energy Group and Xlinks are to build a subsea interconnector cable to deliver 3.6 GW of renewable energy from Morocco to the United Kingdom.
Image source: ESI Africa
Morocco: Octopus Energy Group and Xlinks are to build a subsea interconnector cable to deliver 3.6 GW of renewable energy from Morocco to the United Kingdom.
The partnership will generate 10.5 GW of zero-carbon electricity from wind and solar power in Morocco. This should then deliver 3.6 GW of energy for an average of more than 20 hours a day. This could then deliver low-cost, clean power to more than seven million British homes by 2030.
The partnership will speed up the UK’s transition to net zero with Xlinks laying four 3,800 km-long subsea cables to connect a renewable energy farm in the Moroccan desert with Devon in South West England.
The project is meant to diversify UK supply routes and boost the country’s energy security. It is currently in the development phase, undertaking economic, environmental and archaeological impact assessments. It is scheduled to become operational in 2027.
The Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project will be a new electricity generation facility powered by solar and wind energy combined with a battery storage facility. Located in Morocco’s renewable energy-rich region of Guelmim Oued Noun, it will cover an approximate area of 1,500 km2.
Once complete, the project will be capable of supplying 8 % of Great Britain’s electricity needs. Xlinks is expected to deliver said power at $59/MWh (£48/MWh).
An onsite 20 GWh/5 GW battery facility will also provide sufficient storage to deliver a source of flexible and predictable clean energy.
“Going green will cut energy costs for Britain. Freeing ourselves from volatile fossil fuels was already important to help combat climate change, but it’s now clear we need to do this for affordability and security. Layering different sources of green energy helps answer the question ‘what do we do when the wind’s not blowing’. This project is magic because it’s all proven technology – on a huge and ambitious scale,” Greg Jackson, the founder of Octopus Energy Group, commented.
“This partnership presents an enormous opportunity to bring down energy bills significantly and help the UK achieve net zero. The investment demonstrates the ambition of both Xlinks and Octopus to deliver a cheaper, greener future for the UK public,” Simon Morrish, CEO of Xlinks.
Source: ESI Africa
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