Morocco-Spain Undersea Power Cable Repaired After Ship Damage

After several weeks of work and thanks to the speed of the teams of the Office and RED ELECTRICA DE ESPAŇA (REE), the second interconnection has been restored under very good conditions, indicates ONEE in a press release.

At the end of 2019, a ship had damaged the submarine cable, 13 km off the Moroccan coast, making it unavailable. The control and protection systems ordered the isolation of the 2nd interconnection and an action plan for the repair of the cable was launched by the maintenance committee composed of Moroccan and Spanish officials.

The work required high-level expertise and heavy logistics, including specialized ships for this type of operation, since the damaged part was located at a depth of 490 m.

The same source specifies that the Director General of ONEE, Abderrahim El Hafidi, visited on Tuesday the site of the Morocco-Spain electrical interconnection to inquire about the level of reinstallation of the equipment after the important work carried out.

Accompanied by a strong delegation, El Hafidi toured all the facilities of the submarine cable terminal station in Ferdioua (near Ksar Sghir): the 400 kV very high voltage equipment and the hydraulic system for maintaining the dielectric oil of the cables under pressure, as well as the large Melloussa electrical substation which ensures the interconnection with the 400 kV national transmission network. This, to note the proper functioning of this strategic facility for the national electricity system. He did not fail to congratulate the teams who successfully carried out this delicate operation, in these times of health crisis related to covid 19.

According to the same source, this substation is an essential link in the national electricity transmission chain, including the HV lines of the Morocco-Spain electrical interconnection, the lines from the Tahadart power plant as well as the 400 kV lines serving the Oualili substation.