Alstom announced last week that the company has won its first wind energy development contract in the North-African country of Morocco. The project is a 100 MW wind farm to be built in Akhfenir, Morocco. It is to be commissioned in 2011, and will feature 61 Alstom ECO 74 wind turbines, which will result in more than 100 MW of installed power generating capacity. The consumers of the produced electricity will be private industrial customers in the country, mostly through the Energipro scheme.

Alstom will be responsible for delivering, installing and operating the wind farm during the first five years of the wind farm's operation.

Alstom has been present in Morocco for some time now, mostly through thermal power projects, but also through renewable enrgy projects. The country has set a high RE goal – 42% renewable energy capacity by 2020.

So far, Morocco has mostly invested in hydropower, of which Alstom has contributed to about 800 MW of capacity.

[source: Alstom]