Morocco and Spain to Inspect Undersea Power Cables
The inspection aims to assess critical cross-border energy links following a major outage in 2025.
Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Utilities
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Morocco and Spain are launching an inspection of the undersea power cable link that connects the Fardioua station to the Tarifa substation. The project follows a massive April 28, 2025, blackout that left over 50 million people without power for approximately 10 hours.
Why it matters
The inspection seeks to evaluate cable conditions and maintenance needs to ensure the stability of cross-border electricity flows. This effort underscores the strategic importance of international grid connections following the service disruptions experienced by Spain, Portugal, and Andorra during the 2025 blackout.
The undersea link spans 30km with cables reaching depths of 640 meters and operating at 400kV. It provides a maximum combined capacity of 1,400MW to support the regional power grids.
The players
ONEE
This is the national utility organization of Morocco responsible for electricity and water management.
Red Eléctrica de España
This is the entity responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Spanish electrical grid.
Advanced Cargo Services & Marina
This private firm has been selected to perform the technical inspection of the undersea infrastructure.
The details
Advanced Cargo Services & Marina has been contracted to conduct the assessment, with costs shared equally by Morocco's ONEE and Red Eléctrica de España. In addition to the inspection, the nations are planning a third 400kV connection with 700MW of capacity at an estimated cost of $169 million.
Timeline
The first circuit of the power link began operation in 1997.
The second circuit of the power link began operation in 2006.
A major blackout impacted Spain, Portugal, and Andorra on April 28, 2025.
Market Landscape
This inspection aligns with the regional push to standardize cross-border grid maintenance following the lessons of the 2025 power crisis. It strengthens the infrastructure partnership between Morocco and Spain as both nations navigate increasing demand for reliable, interconnected power.
The assessment is a preventative measure intended to maintain stable power availability for millions of residents across the connected regions. While the inspection may not immediately change consumer pricing, it is a necessary step to reduce the risk of future large-scale outages.
The takeaway
Cross-border energy cooperation is becoming increasingly vital to maintaining stability in modern power grids. Ensuring the physical integrity of undersea infrastructure is a critical component of preventing future regional service disruptions.
Further reading
For more information on global infrastructure maintenance, visit Utilities.
Source note: This article includes information reported by North Africa Post.
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