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I 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 a
by georgecmu 10y ago
I 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.