Australian Mining Giant Plans Massive Solar Project to Power Europe from Morocco

Fortescue wants to produce at least 100 GW of clean energy in North Africa, mainly in Morocco, and plans to transport up to 500 TWh per year to Europe via underwater cables, equivalent to Germany’s annual consumption or 17 Hinkley Point C-type nuclear reactors.

To ensure a continuous supply of electricity, the project will be implemented with batteries and hydrogen-powered plants. The cable to deliver electricity to the United Kingdom is expected to cross Eastern European countries. The general route of the interconnector is not yet specified.

In 2023, Fortescue had entrusted the Belgian offshore cable manufacturer Jan de Nul with conducting studies for the creation of factories in Morocco. Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest recently presented his project to the British Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, according to The Daily Telegraph.

This project competes with that of Xlinks, led by businessman Sir Dave Lewis. Estimated to cost 25 billion pounds sterling, it aims to transport energy from the Sahara (Tan-Tan) to Devon (England) via 4,000 km of underwater cables. It comes in a context of energy crisis marked by recent massive power outages in Spain and Portugal.