We’re proud to be backing the Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project: an ambitious undertaking covering over 570 square miles in Morocco with 7GW of solar and 3.5GW of wind generation alongside a 20GWh battery storage facility.
This green energy powerhouse will be connected to the UK via some of the world’s longest subsea power cables.
The cables will be built by XLCC in a new factory in Hunterston, Scotland that will double Europe’s current production of HVDC cable manufacturing.
Why not just build solar and wind here in Britain?
Because renewable energy is intermittent, complementing our own British generation with international sources means we get more green electrons at times when there’s less available here. This project is ideally located to complement the UK’s energy needs. Our boffins talk about something called “Global Horizontal Irradiance” (which is just a fancy word for how much solar energy arrives at one spot and can be turned into power by solar panels). Morocco receives about 20% higher GHI than Spain – and twice that of the UK. Even the shortest winter day offers more than 10 hours of sunlight.
The wind farm will utilise the reliable wind in the region, which is driven by the temperature differential between the Atlantic Ocean and African continent. These winds increase throughout the late afternoon and evening, meaning plentiful power can be delivered to Britain during times of peak demand.
Morocco is already an international leader in renewable energy, and this project will help develop that standing further: creating around 10,000 green jobs including 2,000 permanent roles once construction is complete.
