The titanic project of a high-voltage power line between Dakhla and Casablanca has reached a key milestone. Supported by a public-private partnership, it will mobilize 3 billion dollars to connect the renewable energy production hubs of the Sahara to the major consumption centers of the country. The consortium Taqa Morocco – Nareva – Mohammed VI Investment Fund (FM6I) will oversee its implementation.
This 1,400-kilometer energy corridor, planned as a direct current (HVDC) system, will be financed through a “project finance” scheme. Specifically, the repayment of the loans mobilized will occur solely through the cash flows generated by the fees paid by the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE), the main buyer and operator of the future line. A general memorandum of understanding has been signed between the public authorities, ONEE, and the consortium, pending the finalization of a specific development agreement.
In parallel with the infrastructure, this partnership also plans to deploy new wind power capacities of 1,200 megawatts. The electricity produced will be injected into the grid via the future HVDC line, through power purchase agreements (PPAs) concluded with ONEE. These capacities will add to an already significant park in the southern provinces, currently limited by a saturated 400-kilovolt transmission line. This line currently allows for the transmission of about 1,500 MW, produced notably by the wind farms of Tarfaya, Boujdour, Aftissat, Akhfennir, as well as the solar plants of Boujdour and Laâyoune.
As a reminder, ONEE initially considered another scenario for this strategic project: combining an EPC (design-build) scheme with a BOOT (build, own, operate, transfer) arrangement. Several international operators were then pre-selected for execution: Siemens Energy, GE Vernova, Power China SEPCO1, TBEA, and Larsen & Toubro. Ultimately, the BOOT scheme was discarded last April in favor of a PPP approach with enhanced project control by ONEE.
The recent signing with the Taqa-Nareva-FM6I consortium marks the end of this long preparatory phase. The final contractor is expected to be chosen from the five previously shortlisted EPC operators, thus reinforcing the coherence of the project.
This electric highway with a capacity of 3,000 MW aims to unlock the renewable potential of southern Morocco while reducing load imbalances on the national grid. Its commissioning is expected before the end of the decade.
Source Le360