The United Kingdom government has turned down the proposed £25 billion green energy project with Morocco that aimed to bring cheap solar and wind energy from the Sahara to power up to seven million British households, according to media reports.
“The government has concluded that it is not in the UK national interest at this time to continue further consideration of support for the Morocco-UK Power Project,” Energy Department Minister Michael Shanks said in a written statement to parliament.
Although the UK government has set a goal to decarbonize its electricity sector by 2030 mostly, it stated on Thursday that investing in domestic energy projects would likely yield greater economic benefits.
Shanks added that the project wasn’t clearly in line with the government’s strategic aim to foster homegrown power in the UK.
Chair of Xlinks and former CEO of Tesco, Dave Lewis, expressed deep disappointment over the decision.
“More than £100 million ($137.38 million) has already been invested by prominent players in the energy sector for the project’s development phase, and there’s more lender interest in the construction phase than we actually need,” he said via email.
“We are now working to unlock the potential of the project and maximise its value for all parties in a different way,” Lewis added.
The Morocco-UK Power Project, developed by Xlinks, would have generated solar and wind energy in Morocco’s sunny Tantan region and transported it through 3,800 kilometers (approximately 2,361 miles) of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea cables to southwest England.
The project could have supplied electricity to millions of homes, reduced carbon emissions by 10%, and lowered energy bills.
Xlinks had requested a “contract for difference” from the UK government—a mechanism that would secure a minimum price for the electricity delivered.
While the initiative was previously designated as being of “national significance” by the former Conservative administration, it encountered various financial and regulatory barriers.
Among its early backers were TAQA from Abu Dhabi, Total Energies, and Octopus Energy, though Xlinks has not disclosed the exact percentages each company holds.
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