The Guardian | Former Tesco boss wants to send power from Morocco to Great Britain
Image credit: Martin Godwin/The Guardian
Xlinks Chair, Sir Dave Lewis, has been talking to The Guardian about what inspired him to join the Board, and how the Morocco-UK Power Project could transform the way Britain thinks about energy.
He told Jillian Ambrose how the Project will bring 3.6GW of firm, flexible, clean power to Britain for 19 hours a day, supporting the UK’s 2035 emissions reduction target of 81% by 2035, whilst also helping to meet the 19% increase in demand from 2030 to 2035 as forecasted by National Energy System Operator.
Sir Dave also emphasised the supply is dispatchable, meaning it can increase or decrease supply in sub-second response times, helping to balance the grid and avoiding associated balancing costs.
Read the full story by clicking here.
New Statesman | Xlinks Chair speaks on joining the charge towards net zero
Sir Dave Lewis and his charge towards net zero was the subject of a double page spread in November's New Statesman.
The Xlinks Chair spoke on his desire to establish Great Britain as a clean energy superpower.
Speaking on why he joined the Xlinks Board, he said: "Why wouldn't you?"
“Yes, it could be seen as ambitious because of the scale, but the fact of the matter is, we are using tried-and-tested solar, wind, battery and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable technology to unleash a massive clean energy opportunity," he continued.
"It’s important to realise we aren’t dismissing the renewable sources available in the UK. Solar and wind generated here is exceptionally valuable.”
The full online story can be found by clicking here.
Baroness Bloomfield speaks on Xlinks project during ‘critical’ House of Lords debate
Xlinks’ Morocco – UK Power Project has again been spoken about in Parliament, this time by Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist.
The Great British Energy Bill was debated in the House of Lords on November 18.
During the lengthy session, Baroness Bloomfield singled out the project as the only planned infrastructure that “comes close to offering baseload power as well as exclusive supply” to Britain.
She said the Bill relates to “one of the most critical issues this country must address: energy security”.
The Baroness pointed then out that, over the past month, in March 2024, and this time last year, the UK has experienced Dunkelflaute - a period when there is little to no energy generated from wind and solar power due to a lack of wind and sunlight.
“Relying on new interconnectors to Belgium and Holland will not offer energy security if either their wind farms suffer the same weather conditions as ours, or their countries’ needs are greater than ours," said the Baroness.
“Indeed, it is possibly only Xlinks’ proposed HVDC cable bringing solar and wind-generated energy from Morocco to the UK that comes close to offering baseload power as well as exclusive supply.”
Xlinks First Ltd completes executive management team with double appointment
Xlinks First Ltd has appointed Samantha Jones and Catherine Gan as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer respectively.
The double appointment completes the company’s executive management team.
Sharing more than 50 years of experience between them, Samantha and Catherine will play crucial roles in delivering the Morocco-UK Power Project, which will supply millions of British homes with renewable energy generated in North Africa and transported via 4,000km of subsea cable.
Once complete, the Project will be capable of providing 8% of Great Britain’s current electricity needs.
James Humfrey, CEO of the Morocco – UK Power Project, said:
“It truly is a pleasure to have both Samantha and Catherine on board. This double appointment completes our executive management team and further accentuates the amazing journey we are on to deliver this world first project, which will accelerate the transition to Net Zero.
“Xlinks has coalesced a world-class team that has a raft of experience, and this really is an exciting time for the business.”
Samantha Jones OBE
Samantha brings more than 30 years of experience in executive roles across both the public and private sectors.
Having originally started her career as a nurse, she led multiple complex organisations across the national NHS and NHS England, as well as in the private sector.
She also worked at the highest level in Government, having been the Prime Minister’s Expert Advisor and subsequently appointed as Interim Permanent Secretary and COO for the new Office of the Prime Minister in 2022.
This wealth of experience will see her become COO at Xlinks First Ltd, leading the ‘Powerhouse’ Team.
Samantha said:
"I have responsibility for what we call the ‘Powerhouse’: security, IT, data, human resources, health, safety and policy.
“I am also responsible for the Target Operating Model, which is the blueprint for how the organisation should operate in the future to achieve its vision and strategy."
Speaking on what attracted her to the new role, Samantha added:
"Xlinks’ vision to unlock the potential of renewable energy is incredibly exciting, as is the opportunity to work with the incredible talent across the business.
“It’s also a hot topic of conversation with our teenagers who - like so many of their generation - are interested in climate change.
“Why wouldn't you want to be part of something that will have such a positive impact on the world?”
Catherine Gan
Catherine brings more than 25 years of experience in executive and board level roles in energy and infrastructure sectors.
She has delivered highly complex mega projects, including Hinkley Point C and international renewable projects, she brings with her extensive experience of working with both governments and private sector (PE/VC) investors, through M&A, fundraising, strategy, financial and risk management.
Catherine’s previous experience includes: CFO and Board Director of the HMG arm’s length company Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC); Finance Director for Hinkley Point C; and a number of CFO roles within renewable energy companies owned by global infrastructure investors.
Catherine Gan, Chief Financial Officer at Xlinks First Ltd, said:
“The UK government has set an ambitious energy transition target for this country and while many different approaches are required to achieve it, Xlinks’ project is going to prove crucial.
“The business is encouraging fundamental changes to how energy is generated by using proven technology on a scale that will make a real difference.
“Moving and shifting power from where there is plenty of supply to where the demand is truly is the way forward, and it’s a real honour to be part of this flagship project.”
VIDEO | Budget 2024: Why infrastructure is key to making Britain a ‘green energy superpower’
It was announced in Wednesday’s Budget that Government has ambition to make Britain a “green energy superpower”.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled plans to enable a host of new infrastructure investments. Infrastructure is exactly what is needed to reach Net Zero goals and match the ever-increasing demand for electricity. While it does not require any Government investment, the Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project is the perfect example of how the world quite literally needs to build a greener future.
But why are we specifically connecting Morocco to the UK? Why not somewhere closer to North Africa?
These were questions put to Project CEO, James Humfrey, at the Financial Times Energy Transition Summit.
Here is what he had to say.
Xlinks’ James Humfrey takes to the stage at the Financial Times Energy Transition Summit
It was a morning well spent at the Financial Times Energy Transition Summit on October 24.
The event brought together business leaders from some of the industry's most exciting and important organisations, including Greg Jackson, CEO and founder of Xlinks investment partner, Octopus Energy.
National Grid Group CEO John Pettigrew was also interviewed in front of an audience, talking on how infrastructure will enable the green transition.
Our very own James Humfrey took to the stage, too, as a panellist to discuss how the Morocco-UK Power Project will play a crucial part in unlocking the renewable energy era.
Here is what he had to say:
Xlinks is hot topic on podcast with National Grid Group CEO, John Pettigrew
Xlinks was discussed on Aurora Energy Research’s podcast, Energy Unplugged, this week.
Speaking to episode host Richard Howard, National Grid Group CEO John Pettigrew said: “There is no doubt from an engineering perspective you could connect Morocco to Southern England.”
We worked closely with National Grid to identify the optimal connection site for our Morocco-UK Power Project and reached an agreement for two 1.8GW connections in North Devon.
Finding the optimal location was crucial in terms of transmission capacity and efficiency, as it will allow us to deliver more renewable energy at a lower cost to Britain’s households.
See the clip, or listen to the full episode here.
BBC R4 Today | Investment Summit ‘encouraging’ but ‘deeds are harder than words’, says Sir Dave Lewis
"It was very encouraging from a business point of view to see a Government put growth at the centre of everything they’re talking about."
Those are the words of Xlinks Chair, Sir Dave Lewis after he attended the inaugural International Investment Summit.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said the Government’s narrative on the need for stability and consistency were well received, but that while it was good to hear the words, “deeds are a little bit harder”.
Sir Dave and Xlinks were pleased the Summit featured a strong focus on:
- Accelerating growth for a better, more resilient economy while attracting foreign investment at scale.
- Decarbonising our energy system to clean power, while rapidly increasing supply to meet the growing demand for electricity.
- Ensuring we remain a chosen partner for international trade, retaining a track record of delivery at a pace that rises to the challenge.
What’s more, Xlinks will unlock all three of these themes with its Morocco – UK Power Project, which will generate £17.3bn in inward investment over 25 years, reduce Great British power sector CO2 emissions by 9.9%, and demonstrate the UK’s net zero leadership while strengthening its relationship with Morocco.
Listen to Sir Dave’s interview from this morning in full, here (17 minutes in).
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Photo credit - UK Government
The Times | Sir Dave Lewis: Why wouldn’t you want to be involved?
Speaking to The Times, Sir Dave Lewis explains how Xlinks will solve the energy crisis. He asks: why wouldn’t you want to be involved in a renewable energy and infrastructure project which will lower wholesale energy prices by 9.3% and reduce emissions by 9.9% in its first year of operation, driving the green energy transition and contributing to a net zero future?
Download the full article here.
WATCH: Xlinks at London Climate Action Week 2024
The Xlinks team enjoyed a meaningful few days at London Climate Action Week 2024.
Experts from across the globe descended on England's capital for the highly regarded event.
Our Morocco - UK Power Project was a hot topic, as was the wider theme of interconnections and the global grid.
Here is just some of what James Humfrey, CEO of the Project, had to say: