How Is The XLinks Project Progressing?
The Wikipedia entry for the XLinks project has this introductory paragraph.
The Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project is a proposal to create 10.5 GW of renewable generation, 20 GWh of battery storage and a 3.6 GW high-voltage direct current interconnector to carry solar and wind-generated electricity from Morocco to the United Kingdom. Morocco has far more consistent weather, and so should provide consistent solar power even in midwinter.
I ask the question in the title of this post, as there are two articles about the XLinks project in The Times today.
This article is optimistic and is entitled Xlinks Morocco Project Could Throw Britain A Renewable Energy Lifeline.
On the other hand this article is more pessimistic and is entitled Britain ‘Risks Losing Out’ On Green Energy From The Sahara.
This is the first paragraph of the second article.
Sir Dave Lewis has complained of “frustratingly slow” talks with the government over an £18 billion plan to generate power in the Sahara and cable it to Britain. The former Tesco chief executive has warned that the energy could be routed elsewhere unless ministers commit to the scheme.
It appears there have been little agreement on the price.
I have some thoughts.
Will XLinks Get Funding?
Xlinks is going to be privately funded, but I have doubts about whether the funding will be made available.
As an engineer, who was involved in many of the major offshore projects of the last forty years of the last century, I believe that the XLinks project is feasible, but it is only 3.6 GW.
These wind farm projects are also likely to be privately funded.
- SSE’s Berwick Bank project opposite Berwick is 4.1 GW
- Aker’s Northern Horizon off Shetland is 10 GW.
- The Scotwind Leasing Round is 25 GW.
- There is talk of 10 GW being possible off East Anglia.
- 50 GW may be being possible in the Celtic Sea.
- BP is planning 3 GW in Morecambe Bay.
Many of these enormous wind power projects are looking for completion on or before 2030, which is the date given for the Morocco cable.
I do wonder, if those financing these energy projects will find these and other projects better value than a link to Morocco.
Is the Project Bold Enough?
Consider.
- Spain has high levels of solar, wind and hydro power.
- France is developing wind to go with their nuclear.
- Both countries and Portugal, also have mountains for sensibly-sized pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations.
- France, Spain, Portugal and Ireland also have the Atlantic for wind, tidal and wave power.
Perhaps, the solution, is an Atlantic interconnector linking the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar to West Africa.
Any excess power would be stored in the pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations and withdrawn as required.
In the UK, the National Grid are already using the huge 7800 GWh Ulla-Førre pumped-storage hydroelectric power station to store excess wind-generated energy using the North Sea Link from Blyth.
To my mind XLinks is just a UK-Morocco project.
BP’s Project In Mauretania
In bp And Mauritania To Explore Green Hydrogen At Scale, I discussed BP’s deal to create green hydrogen in Mauretania.
Is this a better plan, as hydrogen can be taken by tanker to where it is needed And for the best price.
Conclusion
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the XLinks project change direction.
The Anonymous Widower 
Its a ludicrous concept in the first place and a cable in the middle of the ocean is somewhat at risk from terrorism. We just need to crack on with building out our own wind opportunities with a nationally coordinated programme ie like the CEGB lead from the 50’s into the 60’s which was hugely successful in transforming the country and peoples lives and gets very little recognition. Also we need to onshore capability to manufacture all the kit ourselves even if the entity is foreign owned ie tell Vesta, Siemens Gamesa, Hitachi etc that they have to be at least 50% local manufacture or assembly if they want to sell into UK.
Comment by Nicholas Lewis | November 14, 2022 |
I saw those articles too. I believe Dave Lewis when he says raising cash is ‘easy’. And I think the government would be very short-sighted not to give the project a CfD-type contract price. If wholesale prices continue to be high, then it will be a very nice earner for HMG. And, as the article explains, XLinks has a major advantage over wind farms in that it can provide much more reliable power. (And I think CfD wind contracts should be changed to require reducing intermittency, for example with storage.)
Interesting what the article says about German businesses becoming involved. I can easily see similar systems being developed to supply other N European countries. And I can also see other countries jumping in to take over if HMG refuses to grant a contract.
Comment by Peter Robins | November 14, 2022 |
I believe that raising money for these projects is easy, as they can give a constant return. I wrote about Aviva’s attitude four years ago in this post.
XLinks has the storage.
The Germans are very much involved in the financing of our electricity generation infrastructure. I suspect we’ll look on favourably, when they want to buy some spare GWs.
I
Comment by AnonW | November 14, 2022 |
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/dec/04/government-chaos-delays-uk-sahara-energy-link is now reporting that the project has been delayed for a year.
Comment by Peter Robins | December 6, 2022
I see Xlinks is mentioned in the Energy Security Plan as something the government is ‘considering’.
Comment by Peter Robins | March 31, 2023 |
Xlinks are now reporting they’ve received £25m from Abu Dhabi along with £5m from Octopus to reach ‘a critical early milestone’ https://xlinks.co/taqa-octopus-energy-partnership/
Comment by Peter Robins | April 26, 2023 |
And the Sec of State has now agreed the project is “nationally significant” https://xlinks.co/morocco-uk-power-project-confirmed-as-nationally-significant-infrastructure/
Comment by Peter Robins | September 28, 2023 |
And they’ve now received £20m from Total https://renews.biz/89778/totalenergies-invests-in-morocco-uk-subsea-link/
Comment by Peter Robins | November 29, 2023 |
Judging from an article in the Telegraph today, it seems XLinks are getting frustrated by the lack of progress from the UK government https://www.yahoo.com/news/back-25bn-green-energy-project-110000087.html, and may decide to take it elsewhere.
Comment by Peter Robins | March 31, 2025 |
It looks like XLinks are becoming frustrated with the lack of progress for their project to bring power from Morocco to the United Kingdom
https://www.current-news.co.uk/x-links-chair-threatens-to-move-uk-morocco-interconnector-project-over-slow-progress/
Comment by fammorris | May 18, 2025 |
Thanks for that! Could it be that as we have a Government of all the Lawyers, they’ve haven’t a clue on how to make a decision that is technical, scientific or commercial?
Comment by AnonW | May 18, 2025 |
There was a podcast interview with the CEO last month https://www.energylivenews.com/2025/04/09/net-hero-podcast-ep169-james-humfrey/ which gives the general status.
Have to say I don’t understand what the problem is. The previous government declared it to be Nationally Significant, so it’s clearly a priority. As the finance is arranged, all the government needs to do is award a CfD. They don’t have any problem with awarding CfDs to other generators, so why not Xlinks?
Comment by Peter Robins | May 18, 2025
Could it be our old friend; Not Invented Here Syndrome?
As you say, it just needs a CfD.
I doubt, it’s in a Labour marginal.
Or could it be, that as true Socialists, they don’t want to deal with someone, who used to run Tesco?
Comment by AnonW | May 18, 2025 |
I think it’s just that DESNZ is very slow at deciding anything. We’re still waiting for them to decide on zonal pricing, which they’ve been pondering for years. At least Ofgem/NESO are now streamlining grid connections and reforming markets for storage. How Ed Milliband thinks he’ll reach his 2030 goal if he passes up on Xlinks isn’t clear to me.
Comment by Peter Robins | May 18, 2025 |
As a trained Control Engineer, my training and experience tells me, that zonal pricing might not be the best of ideas, as the bigger the pot, the more stable it is.
But I could certainly simulate it on a big enough computer, with the right software!
Would that be encapsulated in the phrase? – Still waters run deep!
Comment by AnonW | May 18, 2025 |
I see DESNZ has now decided not to award a CfD https://xlinks.co/xlinks-statement-morocco-uk-power-project-desnz-decision/ Have to say I don’t understand this. There’s media speculation along the lines of your Not Invented Here comment.
Comment by Peter Robins | June 26, 2025 |