Talks over a planned electricity link between Morocco and Germany have slowed progress on the Sila Atlantik project, as both sides continue to negotiate key parts of the deal.
The project is expected to cost $30 billion. It would use two high-voltage undersea cables running almost 4,800km between the two countries.
Solar and wind farms in Morocco would supply the electricity. The link is designed to carry up to 15GW of power, enough to cover about 5% of Germany’s yearly electricity demand.
One of the main sticking points is the legal framework.
Morocco wants Germany to sign a formal government-to-government agreement. Rabat sees this as a way to secure Germany’s long-term commitment to the project.
Another issue is the direction of the electricity flow.
The original plan allows electricity to move only from Morocco to Germany. Morocco wants a two-way connection so electricity can also flow in the opposite direction if needed. Engineers say this is technically possible, but it would add to the project’s cost.
Land for the project has also not been allocated.
Around 150,000 hectares in the Guelmim-Oued Noun region were previously set aside for the now-cancelled Xlinks project. No similar decision has been taken for Sila Atlantik.
Work on the project has not stopped.
The company behind Sila Atlantik is still working on the technical, commercial, regulatory and financial parts of the project while it studies different development options.
Expanding electricity links with Europe remains a key part of Morocco’s energy strategy.
The country already has an electricity interconnection with Spain and is preparing a third link with a capacity of 700MW. Projects to connect with Portugal and France are also under consideration.
