UK-Morocco Submarine Power Cable Project Advances with Marine Survey Tender

Xlinks wants to award a contract for the investigation of geophysical, geotechnical and environmental marine routes along the approximately 3,600 kilometer interconnection route, including the acquisition, processing, mapping and production of data, reports Offshore Energy. With an estimated total cost of £13 million excluding tax (around $17.4 million), this contract covers coastal and offshore geophysical and hydrographic surveys, unexploded ordnance (UXO) surveys and coastal and offshore geotechnical studies.

It also includes coastal and offshore benthic studies, coastal geotechnical drilling as well as remotely operated vehicle (ROV) studies. Companies interested in this call for tenders are invited to submit their applications no later than January 17, 2022. The duration of the contract is six months and is non-renewable.

The project of submarine electrical interconnection between southern Morocco and the United Kingdom plans to build four 1.8 GW high-voltage cables that will be installed over approximately 3,800 kilometers underwater and will provide 8% of the electricity needed in the United Kingdom. With this project, the two countries will connect their networks to strengthen their potential for green electricity supply and organize the energy transition.

The solar and wind power plant that should be operational by 2030 will be installed on approximately 1,500 square kilometers and should produce 7 GW of solar and 3.5 GW of wind. It will be connected exclusively to the United Kingdom, but 20 GWh / 5 GW batteries will be installed in Morocco to store the energy. According to Xlinks’ estimates, this project will power 7 million British households by 2030.