The gigantic power outage that plunged Spain, Portugal and part of the south of France into darkness has caused serious concern in Morocco. Many people have wondered about the possibility of this outage spreading across the Mediterranean. However, as Amin Bennouna, energy expert, points out, “the risk of contagion is almost zero thanks to the technical configuration of the interconnection between Morocco and Spain”. Indeed, this connection is based on high voltage direct current (HVDC) technology, unlike traditional alternating current interconnections. “This specificity guarantees total independence of the networks. Morocco is not synchronized with the Spanish electricity system nor with that of Europe,” explains Bennouna. This means that an outage in Europe cannot automatically propagate to Morocco. The system works like an electric filter. Thanks to a rectifier and an inverter installed on each side of the underwater connection, the current is converted from alternating to direct, then back to alternating, making any transmission of instability impossible. However, this technical insulation has an immediate effect in the event of a power outage: the interruption of electricity exchanges. At the time of the outage, which occurred around 12:30 p.m., Morocco was importing several hundred megawatts from Spain. This sudden interruption required a rapid response to preserve the stability of the national grid. The National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) then mobilized its internal capacities. Emergency production units – gas turbines, generators – have been activated. “Morocco has a strategic reserve to deal with this type of critical situation,” explains Bennouna. If necessary, demand reduction measures or targeted load shedding can also be implemented. According to available information, the energy imbalance was quickly compensated. Thanks to an accelerated ramp-up of national production and, where necessary, a few controlled outages, the stability of the Moroccan network was restored in a few hours. “The impact of this European outage on Morocco remained limited and temporary,” concludes Bennouna, emphasizing the resilience of the national electricity system.
