By Amira El Masaiti
Rabat – A wind farm is currently under construction in Jbel Lahdid, in the province of Essaouira.
The 200 megawatts wind farm received planning permission for 60 turbines to be installed over an area covering 2557 hectares in Jbel Lahdid.
The MAD 2.6 billion project will be run by the Moroccan Agency of Solar Energy (MASEN) and the Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau Potable Electricity- Branch (ONEE-BE).
The wind power generated from this farm will replace the equivalent of 158,103 tons of oil. It is also estimated that it will lower CO2 emissions by 475,200 tons per year.
It will be financed by the European Investment Bank in the amount of 200 million euros. The rest of the amount will be financed by German development bank (130 million euros), the African Development Bank (31 million dollars and 40 million euros) and the European Union (15 million euros).
Funding will also be provided by the Hassan II Fund, the Energy Investment Corporation (SIE) and the ONEE-BE
The Essaouira wind project is part of an 850mw wind power project launched by ONEE, which includes four other wind farms located in Midelt (150 mw), Tiskrad (300 mw), Tangier (100 mw) and in Boujdour (100 mw).
The winning bid for the project was won by an association comprised of Nareva, with Enel Green Power, and Siemens Wind Power.
These companies will be responsible for developing, designing, financing and construction of the project. After their completion, the association will also be accountable for the daily operations and maintenance of the four wind farms.
The Moroccan wind project supports the implementation of Morocco’s new energy strategy focusing on the development of renewable forms of energy.
The wind energy sector is focused on generating 2,000 megawatts by 2020. This strategy, adopted in March 2009, is designed to secure the supply of various forms of energy and provide accessible prices, while ensuring respect for the environment
