German body loans Morocco's power company 50 mln euros for wind power plant

The German Financial Institution KFW has loaned the Moroccan Power Company (ONE/state-owned) 50 million Euros to co-fund a 60 mw wind power park in Essaouira, 450 km south of Rabat.

A tender will be launched in 2003 for the construction of the park that will cost 82.5 million Euros. It will start operating in 2005.

Morocco already operates two wind power plants in the north. Located in Tangiers, the plants have a 140 mw and 54 mw capacity each.

The Essaouira plant will bring Morocco's wind power capacity to 250 mw, which will contribute to increasing to 5 percent the share of wind power to the country's power production.