Morocco Eyes Development of Its First Offshore Wind Project Off Atlantic Coast

September 10, 2024, by Adnan Memija

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has issued a tender notice for technical assistance to conduct a feasibility study in an area off Morocco’s Atlantic coast for the country’s first offshore wind project.

According to the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN), studies have shown that the country has a high potential to exploit offshore wind, particularly along its Atlantic coast where wind speed is high and where the shallow waters are suitable for fixed-bottom offshore wind.

To achieve this, the agency plans to develop the first offshore wind project off the coast of Essaouira.

The specific objective of the technical assistance operation is for a consultant to support MASEN carry out the various studies required to evaluate the feasibility of the project.

The two-year contract, valued at EUR 2 million excluding VAT, covers a feasibility study, complementary studies, and an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA).

The notice relates to the relaunch of a procurement procedure cancelled in July this year.

Back in September 2022, EIB and Masen signed a cooperation agreement for a EUR 2 million grant to finance a feasibility study that would be carried out to gauge building an initial small-scale offshore wind pilot project in Morocco.

According to EIB, the initial study would encompass a technical and economic evaluation of a potential offshore wind project, produce and analyse preparatory studies necessary for the project in technical, economic, environmental and social terms, and complete a detailed assessment of the risks and challenges involved.

Estimates of the technical offshore wind potential in Morocco by the World Bank Group show the country holds 200 GW of potential offshore wind capacity – and “only” 22 GW of it is most suitable for fixed-bottom wind turbines while the remaining 178 GW are shown to be best tapped into through floating wind technology.