Melloussa wind farm in Morocco.

After a long tender process, involving sixteen bidders, Nareva Holding has been awarded the development rights for the Tarfaya wind farm in Morocco. The wind farm is to have 200 MW of installed capacity. The final choice for the awarded company was made from the two remaining companies in the tender – Nareva and GDF Suez.

Tarfaya wind farms is to be located about 2 km south of the town of Tarfaya. Even though the project will initially be developed to have 200 MW of capacity, there is an extension option which could later result in an additional 100 MW of installed capacity. Commissioning of the first 200 MW phase is expected sometime during 2011.

This is not the first large scale wind energy project in the country. Morocco has a large wind farm operating near the town of Melloussa, which has 140 MW of installed capacity, inaugurated in June this year. There is also an older wind project, with 54 MW capacity, completed back in 2000. Additionally, the country is pursuing other RE developments, such as solar and hydro energy.

[source: Le Matin, image: France24]