400 Kilovolts power line between Algeria and Morocco

Algeria will reinforce its cross-border power line with Morocco with 400 Kilovolts (kV) by the end of November, official says.

• “Technical teams from Algeria and Morocco are dealing with tests on borders to make sure that the operation will be successful,” Algeria News Agency (APS) reported Wednesday quoting director of energy and mines in Tlemcen province (west of Algeria).
•   
• “Power will be shifted from 220 to 400 kV. That will allow making an extension and reaching Spain,” he added.
• The Algeria-Morocco power line consists in two cables. The first 180 km cable starts from Hassi Amer in Oran province (west of Algeria) while the Moroccan one begins from Bourdine centre on 50 km.
•  “The line will use extra power to export it to Spain through Morocco,” the official said.
• According to Algeria’s Sonelgaz, electricity demand of the country is growing at 5% annual rate requiring significant additional capacity, possibly 8,000 MW by 2010.
• In May 2001, Sonelgaz and Algeria’s energy group Sonatrach set up the new Algerian Energy Company (AEC) to export electricity.
• Sonelgaz signed a joint venture agreement with Italian power grid manager GRTN in December 2001 on the possibility of building an undersea power cable to export electricity to Europe via Sardinia or Sicily.
•  In November 2001, a similar deal was signed between sonelgaz and Spain’s power group Red Electrica de Espana to build an underwater power line between Algeria and Spain.