A consortium led by renewable energy consultancy OWC has been appointed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to conduct a feasibility study for Morocco’s first offshore wind farm. The project, endorsed by the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN), will be assessed with a particular focus on development on the Atlantic coast near Essaouira, Morocco.
OWC is leading a consortium comprising specialist marine, environmental and wind consultancies, as well as African, European and Moroccan engineering and project management partners. These include PHENIXA (Ginger Group), Gaïa Terre Bleue (GTB), NOVEC and SOFECO (Ginger Group).
The two-year feasibility study is being conducted under EIB contract AA-010864-002 and is funded by the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP) Trust Fund. It covers offshore wind market and supply chain studies, site selection, wind yield assessment through a meteorological wind campaign, offshore wind farm concept design, ports and logistics studies, risk analysis and a review of the regulatory framework.
The study will also include grid impact and integration assessments carried out with Moroccan grid specialists, together with marine advisory services and environmental and social impact assessments.
