US firm announces commercial operation of unit 4 at Jorf Lasfar power plant in Morocco

US CMS Energy Corporation's independent power unit, CMS Generation Co., announced on Friday the start of commercial operation at Unit 4 of the $1.5 billion, 1,356- megawatt Jorf Lasfar power plant on the Atlantic shore in Morocco.

The milestone marks completion of construction at the coal-fueled facility, the largest independent power plant in Africa and the Middle East, says the company.

The 348 megawatt Unit 4 began supplying commercial power on February 2, 2001 to Office Nationale de l'Ectricite (ONE), the Moroccan national utility. Units 1 and 2, which total 660 megawatts, were completed in 1994 and 1995. The 348 megawatt Unit 3 was completed in June 2000. Completion of Unit 4 brings the plant's total capacity to 1,356 megawatts.

The Jorf Lasfar plant now generates more than one-half of Morocco's total electricity supply and represents about 35% of the country's installed capacity. Power from the plant is sold to ONE under a 30-year purchase agreement. CMS Energy and ABB Financial Services each hold 50% ownership in the Jorf Lasfar Energy Company, which is responsible for operating, maintaining and managing the power station.

"Since September 1997, when CMS Generation assumed operating responsibility for Jorf Lasfar, the plant has achieved consistently high levels of plant availability and output," said Rodney E. Boulanger, CMS Generation's president and chief executive officer. "Completion of construction of the entire project was achieved with the same high standard of performance," Boulanger added.

CMS Energy Corporation has annual sales of $9 billion and assets of about $16 billion throughout the U.S. and around the world with businesses in electric and natural gas utility operations; independent power production; natural gas pipelines, gathering, processing and storage; oil and gas exploration and production; and energy marketing, services and trading.