New Morocco wind farm to be largest in Africa
300MW project near the south-western city of Tarfaya to become fully operational by October, will cost $690 million and with 131 turbines it will be the largest application in Africa
Officials in Morocco have confirmed that a 300MW wind farm near the south-western city of Tarfaya has become operational and will be the largest wind farm in Africa.
The $690 million project has 131 turbines and is on schedule to be fully online by October.
88 turbines had now been installed according to Moroccan officials and 44 have already been connected to the grid.
French engineering company GDF Suez is developing the project with Moroccan company Nareva Holding and it is estimated that the installation will reduce the countries annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by around 900,000 tonnes.
The new giant wind farm will cover an area of around 10,000 hectares and is the third such project in the region with the 100MW Akhfennir wind farm and the 50MW Foum el Oued wind farm also taking advantage of the areas reliable winds.
The Moroccan government has set a target of sourcing 42 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 and the new project is seen as a key milestone in achieving the goal.