3 ms·
The issue is that currently the power is generated locally in Europe. In order for Morocco to export it's power to Europe, it would need the HVDC (high voltage
by pilom 10y ago
The issue is that currently the power is generated locally in Europe. In order for Morocco to export it's power to Europe, it would need the HVDC (high voltage direct current) power lines installed to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
- georgecmu 10y agoI don't follow the logic here: 1. HVDC is not a strict requirement for submarine power lines. AC works just fine, even if less efficiently. Efficiency losses are generally offset by lower capital costs. Remember that Gibraltar strait is only 9 miles wide. In fact, there already exists a 16 mile-long 400kV AC interconnect between Morocco and Spain now. 2. Even if HVDC makes more economic sense for transmission, it won't impose any sort of "electric grid upgrade" requirement on Europe or Morocco. The HVDC line would interface to the existing grid via a HVDC converter; these are built at GW scale. There's already plenty of HVDC submarine power lines within Europe now. (Britain-Netherlands, Norway-Denmark, etc). You may argue that new infrastructure will have to be built to distribute the added capacity, but that's a different argument.