In terms of wind power development, Morocco enjoys quite favourable wind resource patterns, both in the northern part of the country near Tanger and to the west where certain regions benefit from regular trade winds.
In 2022, 13.48% of electricity produced in Morocco was coming from wind power. [2]
Wind power could be a major contributor in the electricity sector of Morocco. According to data presented by minister Amara in Madrid in 2015, the country’s onshore potential is estimated at 25 GW, of which 6 GW could be installed by 2030. The average wind speed is 5.3 metres per second (m/s) at more than 90% of the country’s territory, according to the wind atlas, developed by the Moroccan Renewable Energy Development Center (CDER). The Tanger and Tetouan region (North of Morocco) measured particularly high at 8 to 11 m/s, and 7 to 8.5 m/s were recorded for Dakhla, Tarfaya, Taza and Essaouira.
The installed capacity 2014 was 750 MW. According to data from Morocco's energy ministry, a total of 220 MW of private wind energy projects have been built until the end of 2016. Another 120 MW are to go online soon at the Khalladi wind farm in the vicinity of Tangiers, northern Morocco. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Banque Marocaine du Commerce Exterieur (BMCE) have announced they will provide a financing package of EUR 126 million (USD 133.3m) for the development of the project.
The objective was to generate 2,000 MW by 2020. [3] Morocco's installed wind capacity reaches 1,788 MW in 2022, ranking second in Africa behind South Africa (3,442 MW) and ahead of Egypt (1,702 MW). The commissionings of 2022 amounted to 276 MW and those of 2021 to 197 MW. [4]
For example, the 300-MW Tarfaya wind farm, developed by Tarec (Trarfaya Energy Company), a 50/50 joint venture of Nareva Holding and International Power Ltd of Engie Group, enjoys a load factor of 45%, one of the best in the world for onshore wind.
In 2010, the kingdom launched the development of 1,000 MW of wind power in two phases. The first phase—a 150 MW wind farm in Taza was awarded to a consortium of French EDF Energies Nouvelle and Japanese Mitsui in 2012. It is slated for completion this year. Last year, Morocco awarded the second, 850-MW phase via a tender to Italy’s Enel Green Power SpA (BIT:EGPW), in consortium with Moroccan Nareva Holding and Siemens Wind Power AS. The consortium will build five projects—the 150 MW Tanger 2 in the northern part of the country, 300 MW at Tiskrad, Laayoune, 200 MW at Jbel Lahdid, Essaouira, 100 MW near Boujdour, and 100 MW at Midelt, some 400 km east of Casablanca. The tender has attracted bids of about MAD 300 (USD 30/EUR 28) per MWh on average.
All wind farms will be developed under public private partnership and structured under the build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) scheme. Commissioning of the tender projects was expected between 2017 and 2020.
Morocco Renewable Energy wind projects planned to be installed through 2030:
Name | Capacity |
---|---|
Tanger1 | 140 MW |
Tanger2 | 150 MW |
Khallada | 120 MW |
Haouma | 50 MW |
Koudia Baida | 300 MW |
Khallada | 120 MW |
Taza | 150 MW |
Midelt | 100MW |
Taza | 100 MW |
Jbel Hdid | 200 MW |
Akfenir | 200 MW |
Tarfaya | 300 MW |
Tiskrad | 300 MW |
Boujdour | 100 MW |
Laayoune | 50 MW |
Amougdoul | 60 MW |
The United Kingdom is the best location for wind power in Europe and one of the best in the world. The combination of long coastline, shallow water and strong winds make offshore wind unusually effective.
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Morocco's energy policy is set independently by two agencies of the government: the Office of Hydrocarbons and Mining (ONHYM) which sets domestic oil policy, and the Office National de l'Electricité (ONE), which sets policy with regard to electricity. The two major weaknesses of the energy policy of Morocco are the lack of coordination between these two agencies and the lack of development of domestic energy sources.
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Primary energy consumption in Spain in 2015 was mainly composed of fossil fuels. The largest sources are petroleum (42.3%), natural gas (19.8%) and coal (11.6%). The remaining 26.3% is accounted for by nuclear energy (12%) and different renewable energy sources (14.3%). Domestic production of primary energy includes nuclear (44,8%), solar, wind and geothermal (22,4%), biomass and waste (21,1%), hydropower (7,2%) and fossil (4,5%).
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Nareva is an energy company in Morocco wholly owned by the SNI, the holding company of king Mohammed VI.
Tarfaya Wind Farm is a wind farm in Morocco, located in 20 km from Tarfaya. It was developed by Tarec, a 50/50 joint venture of Nareva Holding and International Power Ltd. Tarfaya Wind Farm is owned and operated by a 50:50 joint venture between the GDF SUEZ and Nareva Holding and it is Africa's 2nd largest capacity wind farm after Lake Turkana Wind Project, with 131 wind turbines, each generating 2.3 Megawatts of power, and a total installed capacity of 301 MW. It was on the list of ten “Most Outstanding African Projects in 2015”, a ranking by Jeune Afrique magazine. The park was commissioned in December 2014 after two years of work and investment of 5 billion dirhams. Its constructor and operator is Tarec, which sells the power generated to the National Electricity Office.
Under the original 2009 Renewable Energy Directive Ireland had set a target of producing 16% of all its energy needs from renewable energy sources by 2020 but that has been updated by a second Renewable Energy Directive whose targets are 32% by 2030. Between 2005 and 2014 the percentage of energy from renewable energy sources grew from just 3.1% to 8.6% of total final consumption. By 2020 the overall renewable energy share was 13.5%, short of its Renewable Energy Drive target of 16%. Renewable electricity accounted for 69% of all renewable energy used in 2020, up from two thirds (66.8%) in 2019.
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Masen, the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy, is a privately owned Moroccan company with public funding. It was created in 2010 to lead the Moroccan solar project to generate electricity from solar power by installing a minimum capacity of 2,000 MW by 2020.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S ("CIP") is a Danish investment firm specializing in infrastructure investments, particularly wind power. CIP is one of the world's largest dedicated renewables investment firms with €25 billion raised and a project pipeline of 120 GW.
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