- Portugal has announced a €400 million investment plan that includes the possibility of building a direct power connection with Morocco.
- Morocco’s recent projects, like the giant Noor solar complex and the ambitious Morocco–UK electricity link, have caught the attention of several southern European countries.
Portugal has announced a €400 million investment plan that includes the possibility of building a direct power connection with Morocco. Portugal is looking south to Morocco as it works on cutting its reliance on Spain for electricity.
This move comes after a massive blackout hit the Iberian Peninsula on April 28, which exposed Portugal’s vulnerability due to its near-total dependence on Spain’s electricity grid.
The disruption, caused by a sudden surge in voltage in the Spanish network, affected several power stations, including nuclear and thermal, and even reached Portuguese territory.
At a press conference in Lisbon, Portugal’s energy minister, Maria da Graça Carvalho, said the country wants to boost its energy storage capacity and improve control over its grid.
“We can consider the possibility of joining one of the existing projects. A new one from scratch would certainly be very expensive, but we will evaluate the viability of also joining one of these projects,” the minister said.
The minister said that Portugal made “very preliminary” contact with Morocco and it will now be followed by the first meeting at the ministry between representatives of the two countries.
The plan includes increasing the national battery storage from just 13 megawatts to 750 megawatts in the future.
However, perhaps the most striking part of the plan is the idea of teaming up with Morocco. It’s the first time Portugal has officially considered diversifying its energy partners by connecting directly to Morocco. The latter has built solid experience in renewable energy and international energy links, especially with Europe.
Morocco’s recent projects, like the giant Noor solar complex and the ambitious Morocco–UK electricity link, have caught the attention of several southern European countries.
Now, Portugal is ready to explore these opportunities as it aims for a more flexible and resilient energy network.
Minister Carvalho said a special decree will be issued soon to fast-track the investment plan and better protect key infrastructure, like hospitals and public services, from future blackouts.