Government sets up Morocco interconnector team

The government has established a dedicated team to explore the viability and potential merits of a proposed interconnector to import solar and wind power from Morocco, energy minister Graham Stuart has revealed.

The Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project, which is chaired by ex-Tesco chief executive officer Sir David Lewis, proposes the construction of 10.5GW of solar and wind generation in the Guelmim Oued Noun region that straddles the Mahgreb country’s border with the disputed territory of neighbouring Western Sahara.

Backers of the project, which would be connected exclusively to Great Britain via 3,800km long HVDC sub-sea cables, claim it would deliver 3.6GW of reliable energy for an average of 20 plus hours a day.

In its recently published energy security plan, Powering Up Britain, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said the government is interested in the Xlinks project as an example of the international projects it is “actively exploring” to provide “clean, affordable and secure power”.

In response to a written question from backbench Conservative MP Heather Wheeler about recent progress on Xlinks, Stuart confirmed the government’s interest in the project and said a dedicated team has been established in DESNZ to consider the viability and merits of the proposal and understand how it could contribute to the UK’s energy security.

But he said that the government is considering the project “without commitment”.

Simon Morrish, CEO of Xlinks, said: “We welcome the government’s determination to work with Xlinks to implement our renewable energy venture. This first-of-its-kind Xlinks Morocco – UK Power Project will meet up to 8% of the UK’s electricity demand with renewable energy, reducing consumer bills and adding to security of supply in the process.”