Australian mining giant Fortescue is considering investing in Morocco’s renewable energy sector to export electricity via undersea cables to the UK.
This came in an interview on the Telegraph with Andrew Forrest, the founder and boss of iron ore giant Fortescue, who is seeking support from the UK’s 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.
The mining company last year signed a deal with Belgium-based offshore cable maker Jan de Nul to look at potential manufacturing facilities in Morocco.
Fortescue has also signed a joint venture with Morocco’s OCP to develop green hydrogen and green ammonia as well as fertilizers production.
Forestcue’s plan adds to a rival project developed by the Xlinks, which plans to invest 25 billion pounds, but struggles for the UK’s government support.
The Xlinks cable would transport solar and wind power generated in Morocco’s Saharan Tan-Tan region to the Devon coast, via 4,000km of underwater cables.
