Client | Xlinks
Industry | Renewables
Services | Geophysical, geotechnical & environmental survey
Project duration | 2022-2025
Situated in the region of Guelmim Oued Noun, Morocco, Xlinks' Morocco-UK Power Project (the Project) spans an impressive 1,500 km2 of combined solar and wind energy and is set to power Great Britain through 4,000 km of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea cables.
Projected to generate 11.5 GW of zero-carbon electricity, Xlinks will provide a steady 3.6 GW of reliable energy for an average of over 19 hours a day. The Project aims to deliver affordable, clean power to the equivalent of more than seven million British homes, constituting around eight percent of Great Britain's electricity needs, within a decade.
The backbone of this project consists of four cables, each stretching an impressive 4,000 km, forming twin 1.8GW HVDC subsea cable systems. These cables will traverse the shallow waters from the Moroccan site, passing through Portugal, Spain, and France, before reaching a strategic grid location in Great Britain.
GEOxyz is proud to have been contracted by Xlinks First to conduct a comprehensive marine site investigation of the offshore route. This includes detailed assessments of nearshore areas at both landfalls, topographic surveys at each landing location, and a full corridor survey along the offshore route. Our tasks extend to environmental surveys, geotechnical testing at selected locations, and surveys of all crossing points with third-party assets along the final design route.
Executing such a monumental operation required a meticulous, phased approach, aligned with the unique permitting requirements of each country involved. With precision, the reconnaissance survey was successfully completed throughout 2022 and 2023. Looking ahead to this year, 2024, our team has recently started the comprehensive survey of the entire cable corridor.
Currently, our GEO Ocean V vessel is operating in the Bay of Biscay, conducting geophysical route surveys along the French coastline. Soon to follow is the GEO Ocean VII which will conduct the geophysical route survey along the Spanish coastline, starting end of May 2024. And ultimately the GEO Ocean III, primed for geotechnical and environmental sampling, which is scheduled to start in the summer of 2024.
