The company behind the Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project, which aims to transport solar power from Morocco to the UK via a subsea cable, has appointed a new CEO to lead the project's next stages, according to a Monday report by the Telegraph. James Humfrey, previously heading capital project development and business development at ADNOC and serving as Shell's downstream M&A chief, has been chosen to spearhead the project. Humfrey boasts 25 years of experience in the relevant field. The ambitious plan involves connecting seven solar farms in Morocco to a substation in North Devon, UK, via four parallel underwater cables, aiming to supply 3.6 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy. «Designs for the ship laying the HVDC cable are complete, and we expect to commission it later this year», an Xlinks spokesperson told the Telegraph. A £1.4 billion factory in Scotland to manufacture the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable received planning permission last year, along with a £9 million grant from Scottish Enterprise. The project requires approximately 10,000 miles of cable in total. In September 2023, the UK government deemed the Morocco-UK project of «national significance», requiring development consent to proceed. «While the Morocco project is Xlinks' first», stated Simon Morrish, the company's founder, and current group CEO, «we see enormous potential in long-distance HVDC connectors to address renewable energy intermittency, and other markets are eager to explore these benefits». He further expressed hope that the project «will serve as a model for future initiatives».
