Morocco has a “fantastic” offshore wind resource “that is too attractive to ignore,” said World Bank senior energy specialist Mark Leybourne.
In a recent report on emerging wind energy markets, Leybourne said wind energy represents a great potential for Morocco.
If the potential is properly exploited, Morocco could become a major exporter of energy to the European market.
Morocco has a “fantastic” offshore wind resource “that is too attractive to ignore,” said World Bank senior energy specialist Mark Leybourne. In a recent report on emerging wind energy markets, Leybourne said wind energy with wind turbines represents a great potential for Morocco.
If the potential is properly exploited, Morocco could become a major exporter of energy to the European market.
“This could bring substantial economic benefits, particularly if the European hydrogen market grows as predicted,” the expert said.
The Moroccan coast along the Atlantic Ocean has excellent wind speeds in shallow and deep waters, the report stressed. Conditions are suitable for offshore wind turbines.
The document highlighted several areas on Morocco’s west coast that are suitable for fixed-foot offshore wind turbines, including the country’s southernmost region, which has the potential to generate 11 gigawatts (GW), and the central region, with a potential generation of 10 GW.
As for floating offshore wind turbines, there are several areas off the west coast with water depths of up to 1,000 meters and wind speeds reaching more than nine meters per second. The regions have a total technical potential of 135 GW.
Meanwhile, floating wind turbines off the coast of northern Morocco in the Mediterranean have the potential to generate 43 GW, Leybourne added.
The country already has power grid access points near potential development areas. However, according to the report, the country should strengthen its infrastructure to transmit energy to the regions of Rabat and Casablanca, which have high energy demands.
If Morocco were to develop offshore wind projects, it could sell energy to its European neighbours, Spain and Portugal. The two countries have not yet implemented similar projects, but plan to do so, the report concluded.
Morocco’s renewable energy vision
The projects would not only enable Morocco to position itself in the European energy market, but also bring it closer to its renewable energy objectives.
Morocco aims to make 42 per cent of its energy production renewable by the end of 2020 and to increase the share of renewable energy to 52 per cent by 2030.
By the end of 2019, Morocco’s renewable energy capacity reached 3,685 megawatts (MW), including 700 MW of solar thermal, 1,215 MW of wind and 1,770 MW of hydropower.
The country’s goal is to reach 6,000 MW of renewable energy production by the end of 2020, a goal that can be achieved, according to the Moroccan Agency for Renewable Energy (MASEN).
In January, the agency announced the next launches in 2020 of several solar and wind energy projects.
Morocco’s renewable energy is currently produced by four solar plants and 11 wind power plants. The Noor Ouarzazate solar thermal plant has the largest capacity, with 580 MW. In the wind energy sector, the Tarfaya wind farm has the largest capacity, with 301 MW.
