Morocco Begins Construction on 87 MW Taza Wind Farm, Advancing Renewable Energy Goals

This project, which is part of Morocco’s energy strategy, aims to achieve 52% of installed electrical power from renewable energy by 2030. The construction site of the first phase of the wind farm is located 15 km northwest of the city of Taza. This first phase includes the installation of twenty-seven Alstom turbine wind turbines for a total capacity of 87 MW (ultimately 45 wind turbines with a power of 150 MW on a 800 hectare site), reports Econostrum. Japan Bank for International Cooperation (SMBC), MUFG Bank and the Moroccan bank Bank of Africa have mobilized the financing.

"This project confirms our commitment to supporting the Kingdom of Morocco in its ambitious energy transition policy. It is also part of the EDF Group’s CAP 2030 strategy, which aims to double its renewable capacities in the world from 28 GW to 50 GW net, between 2015 and 2030," said Bruno Bensasson, Executive Director of the EDF Group in charge of the Renewable Energy Division and CEO of EDF Renewables. For his part, Kazumasa Nakai, Head of Operations of the Infrastructure Projects Business Unit, said that this is the "first investment in the renewable energy sector in Africa" for the Mitsui & Co. group.

2022 will mark the commissioning of the Taza wind farm with production equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 350,000 people, or 70% of the population of the Taza province. A total amount of 2.41 billion dirhams (222 M€) will be invested. An electricity sales contract (PPA) had been concluded between the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) and the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) for a period of twenty years.