The National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) has just put into operation the Jbel Lahdid wind farm with a capacity of 270 megawatts (MW) in the province of Essaouira.
With this new achievement, the total renewable energy capacity of the Kingdom now reaches 5,440 MW, including 2,400 MW from wind sources, which represents 45% of the national electricity production capacity, the Office emphasizes in a statement.
“In accordance with the High Royal Directives aimed at accelerating the development of renewable energies and consolidating the energy sovereignty of the Kingdom, ONEE continues to strengthen the national renewable electricity production capacity,” the same source indicates.
“With the commissioning of the Jbel Lahdid wind farm, we mark a new milestone in our commitment to enhance the energy independence of the Kingdom and support the fight against climate change. Our country continues to move at high speed towards achieving the ambitious goal of 52% renewable energies in the energy mix, well before 2030,” explained the General Director of ONEE, Tarik Hamane, quoted in the statement.
He also reaffirmed ONEE’s determination to actively support this transition, in accordance with the High Directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
Located along the national road between Essaouira and Safi, the Jbel Lahdid wind farm, installed on three ridges, is equipped with 54 turbines of 5 MW each, several components of which were manufactured in Morocco.
It is expected to produce approximately 952 GWh per year, equivalent to the electricity consumption of a city of 1.2 million inhabitants, such as Marrakech, Fes, or Tangier, thus allowing for a reduction of CO2 emissions by 580,000 tons per year.
The Jbel Lahdid wind farm has enabled the opening of several road accesses totaling 74 km, connecting more than 14 rural municipalities, as well as the creation of over 500 direct jobs, thus contributing to the socio-economic development of the region.
Developed as part of a public-private partnership (PPP) with the companies Nareva Holding and Enel Green Power, the Jbel Lahdid wind farm project represents a total investment of approximately 3.25 billion dirhams.
The project has benefited from concessional financing mobilized by ONEE from international financing institutions (KfW and EIB) and the European Union.