Morocco is rapidly advancing its plans to establish Africa’s first large-scale offshore wind farm, a landmark 1-gigawatt (GW) facility located off the Atlantic coast near the “Windy City” of Essaouira. Spearheaded by the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN) and backed by the European Investment Bank (EIB), the project has gained significant momentum through the Blue Mediterranean Partnership, a multi-donor fund designed to accelerate the region’s marine-based sustainable economy. This initiative represents a strategic shift in Morocco’s energy infrastructure, leveraging the area’s shallow coastal waters and exceptional, steady wind speeds averaging 11 meters per second to drive the country’s energy independence.
The development serves as a major step toward Morocco’s ambitious climate mandate to secure over 52% of its electricity grid capacity from renewable sources by 2030. This mandate is being pursued with the country embarking on projects such as the Khalladi wind farm expansion. According to World Bank assessments, Morocco possesses a massive 200 GW offshore wind potential, and this initial fixed-bottom installation will lay the foundational framework and local supply chain logistics required to tap into deeper waters using floating turbine technologies later on. With targeted construction slated to begin by 2029, the clean power generated by the Essaouira facility is also expected to anchor Morocco’s burgeoning green hydrogen economy and reinforce its capacity to export carbon-free electricity to European markets.
August 4, 2024
Morocco is looking for a consultant to do a feasibility study on Africa’s Largest Offshore Wind-farm that could be Africa’s first.
The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have put out a tender for technical assistance for the study.
The favoured site is in the Atlantic Ocean off Essaouira, a resort popular with windsurfers owing to constant flow of air from the Atlantic into the Saharan low pressure area.
The tender says the area’s strong winds and shallow water gives it “high potential” for wind power energy.
Masen to Install 6GW of Wind generating Capacity by 2030
Masen wants to install at least 6GW of wind generating capacity by the year 2030 as part of its plan to generate 52% of the country’s power from renewable sources by then.
The tender follows an announcement in September 2022 that the EIB had authorised a €2m grant to Masen to carry out a feasibility study prior to the construction of a small pilot project.
Lionel Rapaille, the EIB’s operations director for Morocco, commented at the time: “Our technical assistance operation will contribute to Morocco’s ambitious climate goals and to the development of a new cutting-edge sector across the continent.”
So far, no African country has developed an offshore wind project, although Egypt, Tanzania and Kenya have discussed the possibility.
Projects Similar to Africa’s Largest Offshore Wind-farm in Morocco
Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) also initiated a tender for the construction of the Nassim Nord wind farm complex project as a significant step towards renewable energy expansion in the country.
The Nassim Nord wind farm complex project comprises two main components: the 150-MW Koudia Al Baida wind farm in the northern provinces of Fahs Anjra and M’diq-Fnideq, and the colossal 250-MW Nassim Dar Chaoui wind farm situated in Tangier and Tetouan provinces.
By inviting bids from companies for the construction and operation of this complex until June 24, Masen aims to promote private sector involvement in renewable energy deployment, leveraging project financing with commercial banks, both Moroccan and international.
In the realm of wind energy, Morocco has emerged as a leader alongside South Africa in green energy production on the continent. The country’s operational and under-construction wind energy projects, as reported by the Global Wind Energy Council, stood at an impressive 9 GW by the end of 2020, with more projects scheduled for commissioning in 2023. Noteworthy expansions include the Koudia Al Baida wind farm, set to scale up from 54 MW to 200 MW, underscoring Morocco’s continuous growth in wind energy capacity.
This initiative aligns with Morocco’s overarching strategy to substantially increase its renewable energy capacity, targeting renewables to constitute at least 52% of its electricity mix by the end of the decade. Notably, Morocco’s flagship project, Noor Midelt, is a key part of this strategy, integrating both solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) technologies in progressive phases.
Project Factsheet
Project Name: Essaouira Offshore Wind Farm Project
Location: Off the Atlantic coast, near the port city of Essaouira, Morocco
Status: Feasibility, environmental, and technical design phase (Transitioned to large-scale deployment phase in June 2026)
Targeted Construction Start: 2029
Significance: First large-scale offshore wind farm project in Morocco and on the African continent.
Planned Capacity: 1,000 Megawatts (1 Gigawatt)
Lead Government Agency: Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN)
Primary International Financial Backer: European Investment Bank (EIB)
Strategic Investment Vehicle: The Blue Mediterranean Partnership (BMP)
Funding Pool and Multi-Donor Contributors: €22 million regional fund including commitments from Germany (via KfW), France, Spain, Sweden, and the European Union (covering technical assistance, risk assessments, and initial feasibility grants).
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