Energy Secretary Edward Miliband has reportedly pulled government support for a GBP 25 billion project that sought to supply the UK with solar and wind energy from Morocco via a 2,500-mile undersea power line, The Times reported.
The decision deals a major blow to the ambitious XLinks project, which had proposed meeting up to 8% of the UK’s electricity demand and cutting consumer energy prices by 9%.
Project chairman Dave Lewis, former Tesco CEO, said the project’s backers felt “hugely surprised and bitterly disappointed” by the move.
Miliband’s office defended the shift, stating that domestic renewable projects presented “better economic benefits” and that the Morocco link carried “inherent risk related to both delivery and security.”
The power cable, which would have run from the Moroccan desert to Devon, had garnered significant attention as a potential innovation in cross-continental energy cooperation.
The government now plans to channel resources into UK-based wind, solar, and grid enhancement projects as part of its broader strategy to reach net-zero emissions and bolster energy independence.
The decision signals a clear shift in energy policy under Miliband, prioritizing energy security and domestic economic benefits over large-scale international ventures.
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