Moroccan and Portuguese authorities will invite bidders for the construction of a 1,000 MW subsea power interconnection project immediately after the completion of the preliminary technical studies in early 2019. The power line will spread across 250 km and will be built to foster the development of renewable energy based power production in the two countries. Portugal is expected to export more than Morocco at the beginning of the project's operational life but Morocco could take over after a few years.
The two governments agreed to launch the €600-€700m project in 2015 and feasibility studies began in 2016. It is slated to become operational before 2030 and will be the second power link between Europe and Morocco, which has been linked to the Spanish grid via a 700 MW cable since 1997. Once built, the project will bring the total cross-border interconnection capacity between Morocco and the European continent to 1,700 MW.