Vestas Wind Systems has received a firm and unconditional order to supply wind turbines for the proposed 120MW Khalladi wind park in the Tangiers region of northern Morocco.
Under the contract, which was signed with Acwa Power, Vestas will supply 40 units of the V90-3.0MW wind turbine wind farm.
The contract scope also includes a 20-year active output management (AOM) 4000 service agreement to ensure optimal performance of the wind project.
Vestas Mediterranean president Marco Graziano said: “Being Vestas’ first order in Morocco since 2000 this project represents a big step forward for us, as we continue to work hard to build a stronger presence in the country and contribute to the development of the growing Moroccan wind industry.”
Backed by funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Khalladi wind project is also be co-financed by the Moroccan bank BMCE and Argan Infrastructure Fund, an Africa-focused infrastructure fund managed by Infra Invest.
The wind farm is said to be the first renewable energy project in Morocco to be financed by EBRD.
The project is expected to contribute to Morocco’s Integrated Energy Project, which aims to increase the wind power share in the national energy mix to around 20% to 2,000MW by the end of the decade.
Vestas plans to commence wind turbines delivery in the second quarter of 2017 while the project is scheduled to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Private producers are allowed to sell the electricity produced at this project to industrial off-takers under power purchase agreements.
Image: Morocco intends to have 2GW of installed wind generation capacity by 2020. Photo: courtesy of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.