Rabat – A new report by the Telegraph suggested that Fortescue is looking for support to link Europe and North Africa through a multibillion-pound power link, and there are already talks that Morocco could be the point of connection between the two destinations.
The Telegraph said Andrew Forrest, who is the founder of iron ore giant Fortescue, had discussions with the UK Energy Secretary about the project, “which would aim to pipe clean energy generated from African solar farms to the European continent.”
The news outlet added that the company seeks to develop up to 100 gigawatts of clean power capacity in North Africa, which will offer European countries around 500 terawatt-hours of electricity per year.
The amount accounts for Germany’s entire annual consumption, according to the Telegraph, which stressed the electricity link would also be supported by battery storage and “potentially hydrogen-fired power plants.”
Telegram quoted an interview it had with Forrest, who stressed Africa’s energy potential, noting that “you’ve got the most impossible amount of energy being wasted every single day in North Africa right now.”
He confirmed that his company is developing a proposal to send the equivalent of 500 TW to Europe.
“And I really want to stress, this is not intermittent. It would be 24/7, baseload power, just like what I need to run my company,” he told the news outlet, promising that this electricity or power won’t stop either during Christmas or Easter.
“It has to go every second of every day,” he asserted.
His remarks came after concerns stemmed from the massive blackout that struck Spain and Portugal on April 28.
The blackout caused panic and frustration as businesses and ministries were severely affected, flights and transport services were disrupted, and telecommunication lines were halted.
The crisis also affected some Moroccan telecom operators, including Orange, disrupting coverage in certain regions throughout the North African country.
Forrest concluded his interview, noting that he does not seek subsidies from the UK government but rather secures it as a market to supply electricity to.
“I want Ed to say, ‘we’ll buy X at market [prices],” he said.
While the interview did not stress whether the project will take place in Morocco, The Telegraph recalled the Xlinks power project that is already in the works to connect Morocco to the UK.
The project aims to establish 11.5 gigawatts of solar and wind farm capacity in Morocco’s Guelmim Oued Noun region, coupled with a 22.5 GWh/5 GW battery storage system. Morocco has drawn massive attention in the field of renewable energy over the past decade, with investors seeing the country as a strong leader.
The country hosts the Noor solar program, an Ouarzazate complex that has a 580 megawatt capacity spread over four plants.
The Noor Ouarzazate Solar Power Station has been making international headlines.
In 2019, CNN said the project produces enough electricity to power a city the size of Prague, or twice the size of Marrakech.
While the Telegraph has not confirmed whether Morocco is Fortescue’s focus in North Africa, it recalled that the company signed an agreement last year with Belgium’s offshore cable maker Jan de Nul to look at “potential manufacturing facilities in Morocco.”
This resulted in speculation suggesting that Morocco could be the destination Fortescue is looking for in North Africa, given the country’s well-established reputation as a regional leader in renewable energy.
Morocco’s objective is to reach at least 52% of its installed energy capacity to come from renewable energy by 2030. Reports say the current capacity is estimated at 45%.
