Morocco: New wind farm coming online
Morocco, Rabat: InnoVent Maroc, a subsidiary of the France-based firm InnoVent, is setting up a 36 MW wind farm in Morocco.
Image for illustration purposes
Morocco, Rabat: InnoVent Maroc, a subsidiary of the France-based firm InnoVent, is setting up a 36 MW wind farm in Morocco.
The Oualidia wind farm is expected to begin full operations by the middle of 2021. The wind farm, which covers 10 ha, is located in the Sidi Bennour province of Morocco. The total investment of the project is estimated to be $22,95 M.
Currently, the Oualidia wind farm has only partially connected to Morocco’s national electricity grid. The company recently commissioned its first turbine and signed a power purchase agreement. This turbine contributes 3 MW and is connected to the grid of the Office national de l’eau et de l’électricité. An additional 33 MW of capacity will become operational in the coming weeks.
Once it is fully operational, the Oualidia wind farm will be able to produce 80 GWh of electricity annually. Fully, operational the wind farm will help the country avoid 60 MT of carbon emissions per year.
The type of turbines used in this project includes a variety that is the highest in Africa and measures 202 m at the tip of the blade. It also has an innovative tripod structure, Nabralift, developed by the Spanish company Nabrawind. This technology raises the mast to harness higher wind speeds and gain up to 40 % in energy generation.
The Nabralift consists of a three-column structure installed under the uppermost part of a wind turbine generator (WTG) tubular tower. It integrates a self-erection system that allows the installation of a full WTG (tower, nacelle, rotor) without using large-sized cranes, regardless of the final hub height.
Source: ESI Africa