Morocco’s Office National de l’Electricite (ONE) has appointed consultants to advise on an 850MW wind power programme.

The UK’s HSBC has been selected as financial adviser, while the US’ Baker & McKenzie is legal adviser and the UK’s Garrad Hassan is technical adviser.

The programme will comprise five wind farms at the following sites:

• Tanger II (Tangier): 150MW
• Midelt (Midelt): 100MW
• Jbel Lahdid (Essaouira) 200MW
• Tiskrad (Laayoune): 300MW
• Boujdour (Boujdour): 100MW

ONE has already issued a request for qualification (RFQ) to developers to build the projects. Developers are to respond by 2 March. The exact sizes of the projects may change, according to the findings of ONE’s studies at the sites. ONE has also said it may add more projects to the programme at a later date.

The winning bidder will design, finance, construct, operate and maintain the wind farms as independent power projects (IPPs). In addition to the five new wind farms, the developer and turbine supplier must have the capacity to also extend the 50MW Koudia al-Baida AL II wind farm in Abdelkhalek Torres to a total capacity of 200MW.

While the private developer will be responsible for the financing of the projects, funds will be made available through ONE, Societe d’Investissement Energetique (SIE) and Hassan II Fund.

The wind farm programme is part of Morocco’s plan to meet its renewable energy target of 42 per cent of installed capacity, based on renewable energy by 2020. In addition to the 850MW programme, ONE is also tendering a 150MW wind farm at Taza, northern Morocco.

Taza wind farm will be constructed at a site located 12 kilometres northwest of Taza on a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) basis. ONE will agree a 20-year offtake agreement with the chosen developer.