Portugal, Morocco Revive Undersea Power Link After 2025 Iberian Blackout

Portugal and Morocco are studying the feasibility of a direct undersea electricity connection, reviving interest in cross-continental power links following the catastrophic Iberian blackout of April 2025. Portugal's Environment Ministry confirmed the countries would examine a proposed 1,000 megawatt cable.

The push follows the April 28, 2025 blackout, Europe's worst in two decades, during which Morocco's existing submarine cables to Spain proved critical in restoring power. Morocco's state utility ONEE supplied up to 100 megawatts through one of two 700 megawatt cables linking the countries.

Moroccan voltage support began at 1:04 p.m. that day, enabling Spanish grid operators to restart southern Spain's system from the Tarifa substation. Despite a brief disconnection roughly 90 minutes later, the link was restored and maintained until the full Iberian system reconnected to the European grid that evening.

Portugal inaugurated a new interconnection with Spain on July 2, 2026, but continues to describe the Iberian Peninsula as an energy island. On July 6, Portuguese officials announced they were studying the feasibility of a direct electricity connection with Morocco, separate from routing through Spain.

Spain is separately revisiting a third interconnection with Morocco that had originally been planned for 2026. Spain's regulator, the National Commission on Markets and Competition, has flagged that project costs have nearly doubled to 434.6 million euros and is requesting a rigorous cost-benefit analysis before proceeding.

Morocco remains the only African country directly connected to Europe's electricity grid, giving it a distinctive position as both an importer and, increasingly, a potential exporter of power as its solar and wind capacity expands. Most electricity currently flows from Spain into Morocco rather than the reverse.

Cross-border electricity capacity across the Iberian Peninsula remains limited, at roughly 3 percent of the region's installed power capacity, well below the European Union's target of 15 percent by 2030. A fifth undersea cable linking Spain and France, running through the Bay of Biscay, is due to open in 2028.

Morocco and Portugal are jointly seeking European Union funding for the proposed link, which officials describe as a foundation for expanding renewable energy trade between Africa and Europe while improving grid stability on both sides of the Mediterranean.