The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) launched a tender for technical assistance for the study.
The preferred site is on the Atlantic Ocean off Essaouira, a resort popular with windsurfers due to the constant flow of air from the Atlantic into the low pressure zone of the Sahara.
The tender says the area’s strong winds and shallow waters give it “high potential” for wind energy.
Masen wants to install at least 6GW of wind generation capacity by 2030 as part of its plan to generate 52% of the country’s energy from renewable sources by then.
The tender follows the announcement in September 2022 that the EIB had authorized a €2 million grant to Masen to carry out a feasibility study before the construction of a small pilot project.
Lionel Rapaille, EIB operations director for Morocco, commented 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.”
So far, no African country has developed an offshore wind project, although Egypt, Tanzania and Kenya have discussed the possibility.
