ADB should fund surveys to assess wind energy potentials in Morocco, CDER
Morocco, Economics, 10/30/2004

The African Development Bank should fund surveys to assess wind energy potentials in Morocco, said a recommendation of the Moroccan Center for Renewable Energy Development (CDER).

In a preliminary report on wind energy in the North African country, presented to the seminar held in Tunis on October 28 and 29, the CDER said funds could also be earmarked for technical and economic feasibility studies in Morocco on this kind of energy.

The center has identified some 40 sites likely to host wind power installations and facilities that can generate substantial power and could be connected to the electricity network.

The center also recommended, at the seminar held under the theme "wind energy in Africa: untapped resources," to the Tunis-based bank, to finance wind energy projects in the Moroccan rural zone to help supply power to villages and public facilities, like schools, health centersÉ and other projects.

The CDER report notes that Morocco depends heavily on energy imports, hence the interest in wind energy, for power consumption has been growing in the country with 10.96 million TOE (ton of oil equivalent) in 2003 up from 8.55 million TOE in 1998.

The report also said the energy bill of Morocco went up from 11 billion Dhs (1.1 billion euro) in 2000 to 19.6 billion Dhs in 2003, which is eight per cent of the GDP.

The document, which recalled a number of wind energy projects are under study in Morocco, said wind energy output in the country reached 203 GWH in 2003 compared to 194 GWH the previous year, thanks particularly to wind energy fields in the region of Tetuan, Northern Morocco.

Wind energy accounted for 1.4 percent in 2001 in total energy output, 1.2 percent the following year and 1.0 in 2003, said the report adding that, with the upcoming building of new sites in Essaouira (2006) and in Tangier (2007), the output rate could reach four percent.

Meantime, JANA reported that "Deputy Director of the African Development Bank , Olabise Oghanjobi stated in conference held in Tunisia, on development of energy generated by wind in Africa, that the African continent has 20% of global capacities of renewed energy. Africa enjoys great capacities in renewed energy field especially energy generated by wind and water which represents 20 % of the global capacities according to a study published at the side line of this conference, Oghanjobi explained."

Previous Stories:
  Morocco's power utility plans $3.4 billion investments next 5 years   (1/13/2004)
  Morocco has important but untapped potentials in renewable energy, official   (6/21/2003)
  OPEC fund loans Morocco $ 15 mln for water supply project   (8/3/2002)

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