Xlinks: Dave Lewis outlines plan for undersea power cable
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The Government is currently in discussions with XLinks to build and carry energy through the Morocco – UK Power project, which is a “first of its kind” underwater cable that will give Britain access to vast quantities of renewable energy. The energy startup is looking to build a 3,800km long pipeline, harnessing massive amounts of solar energy coming from Morocco, a country that boasts of some of the most favourable conditions anywhere in the world for capturing solar energy.
According to Sir Dave Lewis, chairman of Xlinks, the cable will provide energy at half the price of what the UK will pay for their upcoming nuclear power plant Hinkley Point C.
Speaking on SkyNews, he said: “The energy that will come from Morocco as part of Xlinks will be at £48/MWH, which is compared to £92.50, which is what the Government will pay for Hinkley Point C.
“There are long-distance, high-voltage cables currently above ground and underwater.
“The longest one is a UK links Norway to the UK.
“This new one will be 3,800km and as part of the project, we will build three new factories in the UK to produce it.”
The Project is expected to take four years to produce, costing around £16billion, half of which is for constructing the cable.
Sir Lewis continued: “It will link to the National Grid in North Devon and if commissioned before this year, electricity will start flowing in 2027.
“To put that into context, it will supply eight percent of the UK’s requirement.
“The Sahara desert is probably one of the best places in the world to generate renewable energy.
“It is a fantastic partner for the UK and the economics of it means it’s about half the price of nuclear energy. And it’s reliable.”
A spokesperson for Xlinks promised that the undersea cable would result in bills savings for consumers, which is a particularly attractive proposition as fossil fuels energy crisis raised the energy bills to a record £1,971 in April.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, the spokesperson said: “In recent months, the perfect storm of market forces has provided a greater demonstration of the UK need for clean energy, at scale, in order to meet net zero.
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“Xlinks will be a net contributor to the Exchequer if the project utilises the UK Government’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) mechanism.
“Xlinks will not require Government finance – and will deliver energy at £48/MWh, pricing it below BEIS’s central forecast for energy prices.
“This means it will generate savings for consumers.”
The cable will provide electricity from Morocco’s renewable energy-rich region of Guelmim Oued Noun, and is expected to generate 10.5GW of zero-carbon electricity from the sun and 3.6 GW of wind energy for an average of 20+ hours a day.
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