Morocco: Construction of 1st phase of Taza wind farm launched

The construction works of the first phase of Taza wind farm (Northwest Morocco) have been launched by the consortium composed of Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN), National Office of Electricity & Drinking Water (ONEE), EDF Renewables and Mitsui & Co.

This project, to cost 1.5 billion DH, will employ over 500 people and will include the installation of twenty-seven Alstom wind turbines for a total capacity of 87 MW (45 wind turbines with a capacity of 150 MW on a land plot of 800 hectares).

Financing was provided by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), MUFG Bank and the Moroccan Bank of Africa.

The project benefits from a power sales contract (PPA) concluded with Moroccan power company ONEE and MASEN for a period of twenty years.

The Taza wind farm is expected to be operational in early 2022. It is part of an ambitious clean energy program set up by Morocco to meet a growing demand and increase the share of renewables in the country’s energy mix to 52 pc by 2030.