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UK-Morocco 10GW Renewable Electricity Interconnector Planned

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Re: UK-Morocco 10GW Renewable Electricity Interconnector Planned

#41
post #3

Why not the south of Spain? Just as much sun and more politically stable.

Morocco is pretty stable. There are no sectarian tensions, tribalism is basically non existent, and even the western sahara situation is stabilized with the US recently recognizing Morocco's claim to the region. Keep in mind that the moroccan state has existed in some form or another for around 1300 years. so the country is much more cohesive, and the central power more powerful than other "newer" post colonial countries.

It's very very far from being a perfect or even good country (for most of us moroccans), but it has an almost bulletproof record w.r.t foreign investment. The usually very slow "makhzen" (state bureaucracy) can suddenly become super super efficient to attract foreign capital. Tanger-MED and the huge automobile industry around it is a very good example of that.

Re: UK-Morocco 10GW Renewable Electricity Interconnector Planned

#42
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. The last couple years has really let the mask slip on what the EU stands for and they've made it expressly clear how they intend to treat the UK going forward - despite the UK's best efforts to forge a genuinely strong relationship, this has been rebuffed at every opportunity. We are "fair game" to them now. So it makes complete sense to design future energy projects with sovereignty in mind.

The EU does not think of the UK in that way. In fact it tends not to think of the UK at all, these days. As to being "fair game": that's true, in the sense that the EU will place the interests of member states over those of the UK. That dynamic must be among the least surprising developments of history, considering it is both obvious and formed the core of every serious prediction in the run-up to Brexit. There was p…

The UK playing victim is the reason Brexit happened in the first place. No wonder their residents continue being brainwashed in that sense.

Re: UK-Morocco 10GW Renewable Electricity Interconnector Planned

#44
This is rad.

> Alongside the consistent output from its solar panels and wind turbines, an onsite 20GWh/5GW battery facility provide sufficient storage to reliably deliver each and every day

Four hour battery storage for renewables. The way of the future.

> This “first of a kind” project will generate 10.5GW of zero carbon electricity from the sun and wind to deliver 3.6GW of reliable energy for an average of 20+ hours a day.

The classic error, mixing up units: "3.6GW of reliable energy". The writer certainly means power here. [1] I work in energy, and have had teams like legal (and tools like Grammarly) think we're just mixing up words for fun. Regardless, definitely seems like a very sufficient install to supply real power and charge the battery for load shifting at utility scale.

[1]: https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Energy_vs_power

Re: UK-Morocco 10GW Renewable Electricity Interconnector Planned

#45

This sounds like brexiteer project. Doubt this will actually happen. 3800 km of undersea HVDC cable just to circumvent the EU. 3800 km is the distance from St.Petersburg to Marocco.

Brexit isn't mentioned anywhere and the physics of it would be the same regardless of the EU existing or not. The reason to go direct to Morocco are that transmission through regular AC grids would lose virtually all the power before it gets anywhere near the UK. 10GW is a hell of a load and you can't just pretend a grid is a bathtub at these scales. But as you brought it up, even if there was a semi-conductor breakt…

"Securing Britain's energy supply by diversifying from EU interconnectors"

Also, it's kind of funny how you say it has absolutely nothing to do with Brexit and immediately jump into an anti-EU rant, probably not the smoothest transition :D

Re: UK-Morocco 10GW Renewable Electricity Interconnector Planned

#46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean it probably would've been very hard to route it through Europe too. Morocco already has powerlines with Spain, but I'm not sure if it would make sense to transport that much energy through the existing grid? Especially since very high voltage powerlines are inherently more efficient, so a direct link might make sense. I'm not familiar with how the EU grid is laid out though, and the little knowledge I have is…

It’d be stupid to run a cable straight through the EU, as well, yes. You want to be part of a large and diverse grid. Then, you add or reinforce long-distance connections based on observed patterns. So the UK should get over itself, connect to larger grid that’s already operating on three sides. The same is probably true for Morocco, and at some point these photovoltaic-in-the-desert ideas will become economical, alt…

It is connected, via France.

There was a fire recently, but it's a strategic connection.

https://ifa1interconnector.com/

Also the UK is connected to Norway

https://northsealink.com/

And Ireland also

https://www.eirgridgroup.com/customer-and-industry/interconn...

Re: UK-Morocco 10GW Renewable Electricity Interconnector Planned

#47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Democracy ≠ politically stable

True, in the sense that being healthy is also less stable than being dead. Wrong, in any meaningful way, and obviously so: the linked index rates democracy on multiple dimensions, including protection of civil liberties, electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, and political culture. It’s impossible to rate high on all those issues and not be “stable” in any meaningful sens…

> It’s impossible to rate high on all those issues and not be “stable” in any meaningful sense.

However, a dictatorship can ALSO be stable - just look at North Korea. Democracy is not the only way to achieve stability.

Re: UK-Morocco 10GW Renewable Electricity Interconnector Planned

#48

Given how many from the comments and me have come to understand this is a BREXIT move I just want to say: This is NOT technology is GEOPOLITICS, and it sucks!

It can be both at the same time. This is bringing more renewables and energy storage online. Any way you slice it, this is a global need.

Re: UK-Morocco 10GW Renewable Electricity Interconnector Planned

#49

This is rad. > Alongside the consistent output from its solar panels and wind turbines, an onsite 20GWh/5GW battery facility provide sufficient storage to reliably deliver each and every day Four hour battery storage for renewables. The way of the future. > This “first of a kind” project will generate 10.5GW of zero carbon electricity from the sun and wind to deliver 3.6GW of reliable energy for an average of 20+ hou…

Isn’t 4 hours of battery storage much too low? How is that considered “reliable”? What am I missing?

Re: UK-Morocco 10GW Renewable Electricity Interconnector Planned

#50
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Brexit isn't mentioned anywhere and the physics of it would be the same regardless of the EU existing or not. The reason to go direct to Morocco are that transmission through regular AC grids would lose virtually all the power before it gets anywhere near the UK. 10GW is a hell of a load and you can't just pretend a grid is a bathtub at these scales. But as you brought it up, even if there was a semi-conductor breakt…

Exactly. The last couple years has really let the mask slip on what the EU stands for and they've made it expressly clear how they intend to treat the UK going forward - despite the UK's best efforts to forge a genuinely strong relationship, this has been rebuffed at every opportunity. We are "fair game" to them now. So it makes complete sense to design future energy projects with sovereignty in mind.

> the UK's best efforts to forge a genuinely strong relationship

Last time I checked the UK was still the sole country in the world refusing an official ambassador status to the representative of the EU and the sole country to have threaten to unilaterally withdraw from an international treaty with the EU in clear breach of international law. I think your definition of genuine and mine differ substantially.

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