Morocco to add another wind farm
EDF Renewables and Mitsui & CO Construction are about to start the first phase of the Taza Wind Farm construction, 15 km north-west of Taza in north Morocco.
Image for illustration purposes
Morocco, Taza: EDF Renewables and Mitsui & CO Construction are about to start the first phase of the Taza Wind Farm construction, 15 km north-west of Taza in north Morocco.
This phase will consist of 27 wind turbines to generate 87 MW. The project will benefit from a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement with the National Offices of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) and the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN).
This important milestone follows the execution of the necessary agreement with ONEE and MASEN. The project finance will be provided by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation; Nippon Export and Investment Insurance; Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation; MUFG Bank; and (Moroccan bank) Bank of Africa.
EDF Renewables and Mitsui & Co respectively represent 60 % and 40 % of the private investment in the project. The Moroccan public part could hold up to 35 % of the project company’s capital.
Once established, the Taza Wind Farm should contribute to the region’s social and economic development. The first phase of the wind farm should become operational at the beginning of 2022. At that point, the power generated should be equivalent to the annual consumption of about 350,000 people, which would be around 70 % of the population of Taza Province.
EDF Group senior executive vice-president of renewable energies and CEO of EDF Renewable, Bruno Bensasson said, “This wind farm demonstrates our commitment to supporting the Kingdom of Morocco’s energy transition. The project first with the goals in the EDF Group’s 2030 CAP strategic plan of doubling its renewable energy capacity worldwide from 28 GW to 50 GW nets, between 2015 and 2030.″
Taza Wind Farm forms part of the Kingdom of Morocco’s 2009 national energy strategy which aimed to increase the country’s renewable energy to 42 % of its installed electricity capacity by 2020. This goal was raised at COP22, held in Marrakech, Morocco in 2015 to 52 % (10 GW) by 2030.
Source: ESI Africa