REnews
GDF Suez has kicked off commercial operations at the 301MW Tarfaya wind farm in Morocco.
The facility on the country’s southern Atlantic coast is Africa’s largest wind farm to date and features 131 Siemens 2.3MW turbines covering 8900 hectares.
Construction started in January 2013 and the project was developed with local partner Nareva Holding as 50:50 joint venture Tarfaya Energy Company. The facility came online in tranches of 50MW from June this year.
Tarfaya is expected to yield a high load factor of 45% and its nameplate capacity represents 15% of the 2GW target Morocco has set for wind energy development.
GDF Suez chairman Gérard Mestrallet said: “Tarfaya wind farm provides Morocco with a domestic source of clean energy enhancing the country’s energy independence.”
The wind farm is contracted to supply electricity to the Moroccan state utility Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau Potable under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement on a build, own, operate and transfer basis.
Total investment was around €450m and debt financing was provided by a consortium of three Moroccan banks.
