Morocco has begun searching for an international consultant to conduct advanced studies on an offshore wind power project that could be the first in Africa, the British outlet GCR said on Friday.
The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy, known as “Masen”, and the European Investment Bank have launched a tender for technical assistance for the study.
The best location is on the Atlantic Ocean off Essaouira, a renowned windsurfing destination thanks to the constant flow of air from the Atlantic into the Saharan low pressure area.
The tender states that the area’s strong winds and shallow sea provide “high potential” for wind generation.
Masen intends to develop at least 6GW of wind generation capacity by 2030 as part of its goal of generating 52% of the country’s power from renewable sources by then.
In September 2022, the EIB approved 2 Mln euros funding for Masen to conduct a feasibility assessment before constructing a small prototype plant.
Lionel Rapaille, the EIB’s operations director for Morocco, stated at the time, “Our technical assistance operation will contribute to Morocco’s ambitious climate goals and the development of a new cutting-edge sector across the continent.”
No African other country has undertaken an offshore wind project, though Egypt, Tanzania, and Kenya have discussed the potential.