At first glance, the seas appear to be nothing more than an \u00a0empty landscape\u00a0. However, beneath the waves lies a complex and \u00a0invisible network\u00a0 that supports our daily lives: the submarine cables that carry a staggering \u00a099% of global communications\u00a0. Now, a new generation of \u00a0electrical interconnectors\u00a0\u2014spanning thousands of kilometers and powering gigawatts\u2014aims to transport solar, wind, and hydroelectric energy to regions where it\u2019s needed most. The promise is enticing: allowing electricity to travel along with the sun and wind. Yet, the execution of such ambitious plans is considerably more challenging.<\/p>\n
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The foothold for this endeavor is the \u00a0North Sea\u00a0. At the end of 2023, the United Kingdom and Denmark inaugurated the \u00a0Viking Link\u00a0, a \u00a0765 km cable\u00a0 that traverses the North Sea, which allows the UK to import electricity during periods when wind energy is low and export surplus energy when available. Not only is it currently the longest operational interconnector in the world, but, as the Financial Times<\/a> warned, its longevity remains uncertain.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n British media sources have reported that even more ambitious plans are on the horizon: a \u00a04,000 km cable\u00a0 designed to connect Canada with the United Kingdom and Ireland, a connection between \u00a0Morocco\u00a0 and Europe, or the export of \u00a0Australian\u00a0 solar energy to \u00a0Singapore\u00a0 via an extensive underwater cable that spans over \u00a04,300 km\u00a0.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This megaproject highlights that nations have been striving to connect renewable energies for some time now, as mismatches between \u00a0production\u00a0 and \u00a0consumption\u00a0 need to be addressed. A case in point is \u00a0AapowerLink\u00a0 in Australia, wherein the \u00a0Suncable\u00a0 company plans to install \u00a03 GW\u00a0 of solar energy in the Northern Territory. Their plan includes storing some energy in \u00a0batteries\u00a0 and selling it to both \u00a0Darwin\u00a0 and \u00a0Singapore\u00a0 through an underwater cable exceeding \u00a04,000 km\u00a0. According to their CEO, \u00a0Ryan Willemsen-Bell\u00a0, \u201cAustralia has abundant land and sun. The ability to share those benefits with our neighbors has enormous potential,\u201d as stated by Financial Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Simultaneously, the \u00a0North Atlantic Transmission One Link\u00a0 is working towards connecting Canadian hydroelectric plants with Europe. The time differential becomes a significant asset: while Canada sleeps, the \u00a0United Kingdom\u00a0 starts its day, and when wind turbines churn in the North Sea at midnight, New York is preparing dinner.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This concept may seem futuristic, yet solid precedents exist. As noted by \u00a0Xataka\u00a0, the Earth is crisscrossed by submarine data cables, authentic digital highways that have proven the feasibility of infrastructure spanning tens of thousands of kilometers. For example, the \u00a0Southern Cross Cable Network\u00a0, which stretches \u00a030,500 km\u00a0, connects \u00a0Australia, New Zealand\u00a0, and the \u00a0United States\u00a0 since 2000. The recently launched \u00a02Africa\u00a0 network encompasses \u00a045,000 km\u00a0, encircling the African continent and reaching as far as \u00a0Barcelona\u00a0 and \u00a0India\u00a0.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In Spain, cables like \u00a0Tide\u00a0, which measures \u00a06,605 km\u00a0 (created by Meta and Microsoft) and \u00a0Grace Hopper\u00a0 at \u00a07,191 km\u00a0 (from \u00a0Google\u00a0), link \u00a0Bilbao\u00a0 with the East Coast of the U.S. This experience with data networks draws a clear parallel: if we can transmit information on a global scale, why can\u2019t we also move clean energy?<\/p>\n <\/p>\nThrough the Cables<\/h2>\n
A Lesson from the Internet<\/h2>\n
Challenges Ahead<\/h2>\n