- Fortescue is exploring a plan to export 500TW of renewable electricity from Morocco to the UK via undersea cables and is seeking UK government support.
- The company has partnered with OCP and signed a deal with Jan de Nul to assess cable manufacturing in Morocco.
Australian mining company Fortescue plans to invest in Morocco’s renewable energy sector and export electricity to the UK through undersea cables.
Fortescue’s founder and CEO, Andrew Forrest, revealed the company’s ambitions in an interview with The Telegraph. He is seeking support from the UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband.
“You’ve got the most impossible amount of energy being wasted every single day in North Africa right now, so we’re developing a proposal to send the equivalent of 500TW to Europe,” The Telegraph quoted Forrest as saying.
Last year, Fortescue signed an agreement with Belgium-based offshore cable manufacturer Jan De Nul to explore potential manufacturing facilities in Morocco. The company also launched a joint venture with Morocco’s OCP Group to develop green hydrogen, green ammonia, and fertilisers.
Fortescue’s plan joins a competing project by Xlinks, which aims to invest £25 billion to transport solar and wind power from Morocco’s Tan-Tan region to the UK. However, Xlinks continues to struggle to secure backing from the UK government.
The proposed Xlinks cable would stretch 4,000km underwater, delivering clean energy to the Devon coast.