The United Kingdom has withdrawn its support for a major renewable energy project that aimed to supply power from Morocco to Britain through underwater cables, citing concerns over security and delivery risks.
The UK’s Energy Security Department said on Thursday it would no longer back the $33 billion Morocco-UK Power Project, led by British company Xlinks, due to the "high level of inherent risk" associated with the initiative.
“There are stronger alternative options that we should focus our attention on,” said British Energy Minister Michael Schanks. He added the decision was made to protect taxpayers and consumers from potential cost and delivery failures.
The project, announced in 2021, aimed to deliver wind and solar power from Morocco to the UK via nearly 4,000 kilometres of subsea cables — enough to supply 8% of Britain’s current electricity needs, or roughly 7 million homes. If completed, it would become the world’s largest interconnector of its kind.
Despite the UK’s withdrawal, Xlinks said it intends to continue. “We are hugely surprised and bitterly disappointed,” said Xlinks Chair Dave Lewis. “We believe this project would deliver cheaper, faster electricity than other options — including nuclear.”
Xlinks had already secured financial backing from investors including France’s TotalEnergies and the Africa Finance Corporation. The company was also pursuing a fixed-price agreement for electricity generation.
The move highlights growing caution in Britain around large-scale overseas infrastructure projects, even as European countries increasingly look to North Africa as a source of affordable, clean energy. Similar transmission projects are under development to link solar and wind farms in Tunisia and Egypt with Italy and Greece.
Moroccan authorities have not commented publicly on the UK’s decision.
A peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is yet to materialise, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that negotiations are incomplete and a...
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday (25 May) that there have been 200 suspected deaths linked to the rare Bundibugo strain ...
Uzbekistan has unveiled its final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking the country’s first appearance at football’s biggest tournament. The ...
Nearly half of Afghanistan’s population - more than 21 million people - needed humanitarian assistance in the first three months of 2026, accordin...
Chinese President Xi Jinping praised the “unbreakable friendship” between China and Pakistan as he met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in ...
A peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is yet to materialise, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that negotiations are incomplete and an Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman saying that a deal isn't imminent.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday (25 May) that there have been 200 suspected deaths linked to the rare Bundibugo strain of Ebola that have been recorded in eastern DRC.
Uzbekistan has unveiled its final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking the country’s first appearance at football’s biggest tournament. The national team, led by Italian head coach Fabio Cannavaro, will compete at the tournament hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Nearly half of Afghanistan’s population - more than 21 million people - needed humanitarian assistance in the first three months of 2026, according to the United Nations, yet aid agencies reached only 4.7 million people.
The inaugural Enhanced Games began in Las Vegas on Sunday (24 May), launching one of the most controversial experiments in modern sport, in which athletes openly compete using performance-enhancing drugs banned under traditional anti-doping rules.
A peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is yet to materialise, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that negotiations are incomplete and an Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman saying that a deal isn't imminent.
A "largely negotiated" memorandum of understanding on an Iran peace deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday, though the Iranian Fars news agency disputed that claim.
Police fired tear gas and clashed with protesters in central Belgrade on Saturday, as tens of thousands gathered to demand early elections and an end to the more than decade-long rule of Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday (25 May) that there have been 200 suspected deaths linked to the rare Bundibugo strain of Ebola that have been recorded in eastern DRC.
Chinese President Xi Jinping praised the “unbreakable friendship” between China and Pakistan as he met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Beijing on Monday, a day after companies from both countries signed cooperation agreements worth $1.22 billion.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday (25 May) that there have been 200 suspected deaths linked to the rare Bundibugo strain of Ebola that have been recorded in eastern DRC.
A second group of Australian women and children linked to the Islamic State group has departed a refugee camp in north-east Syria and may return to Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Friday.
Pope Leo XIV has issued a historic apology for the Catholic Church’s past role in legitimising slavery, describing it as a “wound in Christian memory,” as he released a landmark encyclical addressing human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence.
Rescuers pulled two people from the rubble of a collapsed building under construction in the Philippines, raising the death toll to three. Search and rescue operations continued after scans detected signs of life beneath the debris.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment