Marruecos y Reino Unido avanzan en la construcción del cable submarino
The submarine power cable that will link Morocco and the south of the United Kingdom is getting closer and closer to becoming a reality. Construction is progressing and its completion will strengthen the energy supply networks for the two countries. Xlinks, the British company in charge of carrying out the project, has launched a call for other companies to help implement the plan.
According to Offshore Energy, a green energy firm, the British brand wants to award a contract to study and investigate the geophysical, geotechnical and marine environmental roads along which the 3,800km pipeline linking the two nations will run. The chosen company will be responsible for the acquisition, processing, mapping and production of the data that the cable will carry.
Xlinks will sign a contract covering all geophysical and hydrographic surveys, both coastal and marine, and will contribute £13 million to the cause. In addition, unexploded ordnance surveys and coastal and marine geotechnical surveys will have to be investigated. In addition, the winning brand will also have access to coastal and offshore benthic surveys, coastal geotechnical drilling and will use remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) for construction.
Xlinks invites interested companies to apply as early as possible. Applications will be received until 17 January 2020, and from this date, the British brand will decide which firm is the most suitable to carry out these studies. Xlinks has announced that the duration of this contract will be six months, during which the winning company will have to carry out the necessary studies, but with the condition that the agreement is not renewable.
The project, which will connect the British Isles and the Alawi country, involves the construction of four 1.8 GW (gigawatt) high-voltage cables that will be installed along the Atlantic Ocean, covering a distance of 3,800 kilometres underwater. The project will supply 8% of the UK's energy needs, and will help to strengthen the supply of green electricity and help to organise the energy transition.
Construction will be completed by 2030, and in addition, a solar and wind power plant will be built in the Kingdom, covering around 1,500 square kilometres. These are expected to produce 7 GW of solar power and 3.5 GW of wind power, which will be exclusively connected to the UK with a direct supply, although 20 GWh/5 GW batteries will be installed in Morocco to store the energy. Xlinks claims that the creation of the cable will power 7 million homes on the islands by the time it becomes operational.
The cable, once completed, would become the world's largest power supply conduit. Xlinks' intention is to produce renewable energy 24 hours a day, which would also allow the Anglo-Saxon country to have electricity connections without having to set foot on European soil.
The choice of Morocco was not by chance, as the Kingdom has become a leader in renewable energy production over the last 10 years. The numerous projects that have been built in the region are examples of innovation, such as the Noor Ourzazate Complex, the largest solar energy project in the world. In addition, the climate and weather conditions make it an ideal place for companies to plan, as even in winter sunlight can be collected for 10 hours, and it is worth noting that the wind energy collected in the Maghreb country guarantees renewable energy projects adequate production all year round.
On the other hand, the UK is achieving great feats in the green sector. The islands are demonstrating their commitment to zero carbon emissions by 2050, and to this end it has been one of the countries to achieve a rapid decarbonisation of its own economy that complies with all the requirements to meet the Paris Climate Agreement.