SeeNews Renewables
by Mariyana Yaneva
Danish wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems A/S (CPH:VWS) on Thursday opened an office in Morocco.
The representation office is based in Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city, located in the northwestern part of the country on the Atlantic Ocean.
“Vestas is currently exploring different opportunities to strengthen its presence in the country and support its ambitious wind programme,” the company said in a news release to local media.
The Danish company has so far sold only 50 MW of wind turbines in Morocco.
However, via its French unit Vestas France SAS, Vestas has teamed up with UK-based International Power PLC (part of French utility Engie (EPA:GSZ) group) and International Power Ltd (UAE) to bid in the 850 MW wind power tender, managed by Moroccan electricity and water utility company ONEE.
The 850 MW tender includes five projects — the 150 MW Tanger 2 in the northern part of the country, 300 MW at Tiskrad, Laayoune, 200 MW at Jbel Lahdid, Essaouira, 100 MW near Boujdour, and 100 MW at Midelt, some 400 km east of Casablanca.
All projects will be developed under public private partnership and structured under the build, own, operate and transfer (boot) scheme. Commissioning is expected between 2017 and 2020.
The companies which win the tender will be required to develop an industrial production in Morocco to ensure the presence of locally sourced components for the project development.
In terms of wind power development, Morocco enjoys very favourable wind resource patterns, both in the northern part of the country near Tanger and to the west where certain regions benefit from regular trade winds.
For example, the 300 MW Tarfaya wind farm, developed by Tarec (Trarfaya Energy Company), a 50/50 joint venture of Nareva Holding and International Power Ltd of Engie group, enjoys a load factor of 45%, one of the best in the world for onshore wind.
Mariyana is a founding member of the SeeNews Renewables team. With eight years of professional experience in renewable energy she has built strong expertise in the wind industry and Eastern Europe markets.
