UK-Morocco Submarine Cable Project Gains Momentum as Octopus Energy Joins Xlinks Partnership

A new partner for the Xlinks project. Octopus Energy has announced that it has signed a financial and strategic partnership with the British company Xlinks, without providing further details, according to Renewables Now. The British renewable energy supplier said that other investments are under discussion and that withdrawal rights for Octopus are being considered. "The companies are also exploring an agreement to use Octopus’ KrakenFlex technology platform to increase value for consumers and the potential to power millions of heat pumps with cheap green electricity," it was reported.

"Going green will reduce Britain’s energy costs. Freeing ourselves from volatile fossil fuels was already important to help fight climate change, but it is now clear that we must do so for affordability and security," commented Greg Jackson, founder of Octopus Energy Group.

The overall cost of the Xlinks project is £16 billion ($21.9 billion). The British company will build a 10.5 GW power plant (7 GW for solar, and 3.5 GW for wind) in Morocco. The transmission cable will consist of four cables. The first cable will be active at the beginning of 2027, while the rest should be launched in 2029. But this mega-project could be completed earlier than expected. "If the project is launched before the end of this year, the electricity will start flowing in 2027 and the project will be able to run at its full potential in 2030," Sir Dave Lewis, chairman of the clean energy company Xlinks, had said in the Sky News "Business podcast" by Ian King.