MOROCCO-WIND FARMS Morocco steps up it's wind energy program to support use of renewable energy

Record ID: 141151

  • Title: MOROCCO-WIND FARMS Morocco steps up it's wind energy program to support use of renewable energy
  • Date: 13th September 2015
  • Summary: VARIOUS EMPLOYEE TALKING TO HIS BOSS, FADILI WHILE LOOKING AT THE COMPUTER
  • Embargoed: 28th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Morocco
  • Country: Morocco
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA77RJI75VDOXD2LDW8V4C1U797
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Morocco is to plough ahead with its wind energy program to support the development of renewable energy in the country, aiming to achieve almost 50 percent of its energy from wind turbines by 2020.
    As one of the few countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region with virtually no hydrocarbons reserves, Morocco is one of the largest energy importers in the area. Its annual energy bills are some of the highest in the region, despite falling oil prices in recent years.
    Morocco is fortunate to have significant renewable energy potential, mainly from wind and the sun.
    To tackle its increasing electricity demand, expected to rise further in the next twenty years, it has devised a plan to produce 4,000 megawatts (MW) from both wind and solar power.
    Currently, Morocco has 787 MW of installed wind generation capacity. Officials say they are able to generate 2,000 MW from wind power by 2020 to reduce its costly dependence on fuel and energy imports by increasing investment into renewable energy.
    Now Morocco is becoming Africa's top wind energy producer, according to the latest report released by the Brussels-based Global Wind Energy Council.
    With an annual production of 787 MW, Morocco is followed by Egypt (619 MW) and South Africa (570 MW). Tunisia and Algeria come 4th and 5th respectively.
    Morocco now boasts the largest wind farm in Africa with the brand new Tarfaya project yet to be officially opened .
    Several wind farms have been built over the last few years, but the potential remains largely untapped.
    High production costs were previously to blame, but the situation is changing and some wind farms, such as the one in Tarfaya, have a high yield load factor which makes wind energy more competitive.
    The minister for Energy, Mining, Water and Environment, Abdelkarer Amara, says he is very optimistic about the future of wind energy in Morocco.
    "Today, renewable energies, mainly solar, wind and hydroelectric energies, are part of our energy portfolio because they allow to reduce the energy dependence of our country on the international level. When it comes to wind energy, our country is a leading one internationally because it has the best productivity. In some regions of Morocco, the cost could be lower than producing electricity from coal, which is unprecedented on the international level. We have a road map and by 2020, we will produce more than 200 GW from wind energy", Amara said.
    Over the next few weeks, Morocco will announce the winner of its bid to tender a significant amount of wind power.
    The bid was launched by the Moroccan electricity and water utility company, Office National de Electricite et de l'Eau (ONEE).
    The winner of the tender will oversee five projects commissioned between 2017 and 2019.
    ONEE has short listed several major companies from Spain, France, UK, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
    After taking part in a meeting aimed at energy cooperation between Morocco and Russia, Ali Fassi Fihri, Chairman of ONEE, said he was excited about Morocco's potential wind production.
    We have all the dynamic started by the 13/09 law (official statute) that allows investors to build their own wind farms and sell high voltage electricity to their clients. We are very proud of the results we obtained in the wind energy sector. It was announced in the past few days that Morocco is ahead of the game in the African region and our ambition is stronger because we are aiming to be among the biggest producers of wind energy in the world," he said.
    Moroccan officials hope that the projects will increase its network of wind farms, the latest being the Tarfaya wind farm in the South of the country.
    It was built by French utility GDFSuez in partnership with Nareva Holding, a Moroccan energy company.
    The project cost 450 million Euros and is Africa's largest wind farm to date, comprising 131 wind turbines spread over an area of 8,900 hectares.
    The Tarfaya wind farm will generate enough carbon-free electricity for 1.5 million homes and promises to save 900,000 tons of CO2 per year.
    Of the 700 people involved in the construction phase, around fifty employees will continue working at the site.
    One employee is Nabil Fadili, an engineer in charge of the project maintenance.
    "It is the largest wind farm in Morocco and in Africa with a 301 megawatts capacity. On its own, it makes 15% of Morocco's objective to reach 2,000 MW by 2020. It has 131 turbines of 2.3 MG each and two substations for medium and high voltages", he said.
    With many locations in the Kingdom harbouring optimal wind conditions, Moroccan officials are hopeful of reaching the country's renewable energy goals by 2020.
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