The European Investment Bank has commissioned a feasibility study for a development of the first wind farm offshore Morocco.

The project has support from the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN), with plans for construction of the facilities on the Atlantic coast near Essaouira.

Morocco has emerged as a regional renewable energy leader, with ambitious clean energy targets and strong onshore wind and solar resources. However, the country has yet to develop an offshore wind industry, making the proposed project near Essaouira a potentially significant milestone for both Morocco and the wider African offshore wind market.

Renewable energy consultancy OWC is leading the consortium, which comprises various other marine, environmental and wind consultancies and African, European and Moroccan engineering and project management partners such as PHENIXA (Ginger Group), Gaïa Terre Bleue, NOVEC and SOFECO (Ginger Group).

The two-year feasibility study will address the offshore wind market and supply chain issues, site selection services, wind yield assessment (via a meteorological wind campaign), the full offshore wind farm concept design, ports and logistics, risk analysis, and a regulatory framework review.

Associated grid impact and integration assessments will take place involving Moroccan grid specialists, marine advisory, and environmental and social impact assessments.

OWC, an Aqualis company, will deploy in-house offshore wind and engineering consultants across teams in France, UK and Germany to support the work, and it will also tap the marine, ports and harbors knowledge of its sister company ABL.