Morocco starts operating 50 MW wind power farm
© 2000 Reuters Limited
September 8, 2000
CASABLANCA - Morocco has started operating a 50.4-megawatt wind farm in the northern Tetouan area, one of largest wind power farms in the world, a statement said yesterday.
Dubbed Abelkhalek Torres plant, the project was built at a cost of 510 million dirhams ($46.5 million), the state-run power utility Office National de l'Electricite (ONE) said in a statement faxed to Reuters."The energy which will be produced by this wind farms would be equivalent to the annual consumption of Tetouan city and represents an energy saving of 56,000 tonnes of fuel per year," the statement said.
With a population of 450,000, Tetouan is located on the Mediterranean costline, some 300 kms (185 miles) north of Rabat.
ONE office plans to buy the generated power from this plant during a 19-year period, it said.
The company in charge of running the plant involves French consortium composed of Electricite de France (EDF), Paribas group and Germa, it said.
The equipment used by the plant was purchased from Danish Vestas company, it added.
Morocco's power capacity stood at 4,500 MGW in 2000, it added.