Page 11 - AfrElec Week 17 2022
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XLCC to build subsea cables in
Morocco to send power to UK
MOROCO SUBSEA cable manufacturer XLCC plans to The XLCC cables will be manufactured in the
build twin 1.8-GW high-voltage direct current company’s planned factory in Scotland.
(HVDC) subsea cables in Morocco to supply The Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project,
the UK with solar and wind energy, according worth $21.9bn, will stretch over an area of 1,500
to industry portal Electrek. The first phase of the square kilometres in Morocco and will be con-
Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project is expected nected exclusively to the UK along a shallow-wa-
to start in 2025. ter route from Morocco to the UK, passing
The cables will be the largest of their kind in Spain, Portugal and France.
the world, with a length of 3,800 km and com- The project will guarantee the provision of
prised of 90,000 tonnes of steel. It will carry the low-emission energy to the UK, while using steel
energy from a 10.5-GW solar and wind farm that from domestic suppliers. It will secure power for
will be built in Morocco’s Guelmim-Oued Noun nearly 7mn UK homes by 2023 and also bene-
region. The facility will consist of 7 GW of solar fit the Moroccan economy by creating nearly
and 3.5 GW of wind. 10,000 jobs, the company said.
Kenya Power gets $500mn to
connect more customers
KENYA KENYA’S government has allocated the initiative with development partners commit-
national electricity distribution utility KES5.8bn ting KES50bn and the balance provided by Ken-
($501mn) to boost a subsidised electricity con- ya’s government.
nectivity programme. The latest LMCP phase is expected to connect
The National Treasury has increased the Last about 300,000 customers, increasing the number
Mile Connectivity Project (LMCP) allocation to of households with access to electricity to about
KES5.8bn for the financial year starting July 1, 1.5mn. The Treasury has doubled its allocation
an increase of 34.36% from KES4.31bn approved for power subsidies to KES100mn.
for the period ending June 31. The subsidies scheme in Kenya has allowed
LMCP aims to extend power supply through- consumers to connect to the national grid at a
out Kenya to enable counties with low electricity subsidised rate of KES15,000, depending on
penetration rates to benefit the most, promote a proximity to power distribution lines, compared
24-hour economy, boost security and link more to KES35,000 previously.
public facilities to the national grid. Kenya Power and Lighting Company’s finan-
Daily Nation reported that the National cial report for 2020/21 showed a 5% growth
Treasury’s latest expenditure plans show the allo- in electricity sales from 8,171 gigawatt hours
cation to LMCP increased by KES1.48bn to sub- (GWh) to 8,571 (GWh) partly driven by 716,206
sidise connectivity to the national grid, raising new customers connections including those
hope for more consumers to get power supply. linked to the grid through the LMCP.
LMCP is an eight-year KES77.6bn
Week 17 28•April•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P11
