Graeme McNiff

Xlinks

The Xlinks project will provide reliable sustainable energy to the UK at a subsidy-free price. Locating Solar generation in the Sahara produces high levels of energy throughout the year, which when combined with battery energy storage offers dispatchable clean energy. The subsea HVDC cable will connect the power to the UK's Transmission Network where it will flow to consumers across the country. As the cost of Wind and Solar in the UK continues to decreases more energy will come from sustainable sources. This is vital to the UK achieving the ambitious carbon reduction targets that are enshrined in our law. However, Wind and Solar generation in the UK is intermittent, not just on a daily basis which can be balanced with storage, but also on a weekly and seasonal basis. This issue will become exacerbated over the next 15 years as more of the dirty fossil fuel power stations are decommissioned. Not only will the Xlinks project provide clean energy it will also enable more Wind and Solar generation to be built in the UK, moving us close to a zero-carbon, low-cost energy network.