Rabat – The city of Essaouira will be presenting plans for the construction of the 200 MW Jebel Lahdid wind farm project on January 25th just as stakeholders begin its construction.
The meeting will bring together leaders from the National Office of Electricity and Potable Water, the King Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment and the Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency, according to the official press release.
The Jebel Lahdid project is part of the Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and the Environment’s initiative to produce 2,000 additional megawatts of clean energy within Moroccan borders by the year 2020 – which will offset energy importation needs by $750 million a year and reduce the kingdom’s carbon emissions by 5.6 million tons.
Tanger II (100 MW), Midelt (150 MW), Tiskrad (300 MW) and Boujdour (100 MW) are all part of the integrated wind power initiative, which, after implementation, will fulfill 26 percent of Morocco’s energy needs, the ministry says.
Morocco has taken a leading position in the global fight against climate change, with Marrakesh hosting the United Nations’ 22nd Convention of the Parties to discuss funding for programs that will push developing countries to adopt renewable energy solutions.
Unlike its North African petrostate neighbors – most notably, Algeria and Libya – Morocco is a net energy importer, which has led Rabat to prioritize clean power projects for the sake of energy independence. By 2030, 52 percent of the kingdom’s electricity will be sourced through solar, wind and other renewable energies, according to Morocco’s latest green commitments.
