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Morocco plans first offshore wind project

31 May 2024

The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen), through the Luxembourg-based European Investment Bank (EIB), has invited companies to bid for engineering consultancy services for its pilot offshore wind project.

Masen expects to receive bids for the contract by 29 August.

Morocco’s first offshore wind farm is being planned off the coast of Essaouira.

According to EIB, the technical assistance project aims to support Masen in carrying out the various studies required to assess the feasibility of the project.

It is expected to guide the decision-making process, including mapping out mitigants to potential issues, before more advanced studies are performed, and construction can begin.

The bank added that recent studies have shown that Morocco "has a high potential to exploit offshore wind, particularly along its Atlantic coast where wind speed is high and waters are shallow, making them suitable for fixed-bottom offshore wind".

Masen has the mandate to put in place an integrated programme for the production of electricity from renewable energy using a minimum installed capacity of 6,000 MW by 2030.

In April, Masen invited companies to prequalify for a contract to develop and operate new onshore wind farms.

The 400MW Nassim Nord wind power programme includes two wind farms. The first is a 150MW extension to the existing Nassim Koudia Al Baida wind park, located in the Fahs Anjra and Mdiq-Fnideq provinces.

The second scheme, called Nassim Dar Chaoui wind park, will be located in the provinces of Tangier and Tatouiane. It will have a capacity of approximately 250MW.

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Jennifer Aguinaldo

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