Characteristics and Perspectives of Wind Energy in Morocco

Morocco depends on 85% foreign sources of its energy supply. The oil invoice accounts for nearly 22.3% income from exports. In Morocco, the use of wind energy began before 1930, through the importation of windmills from USA by the French colony, to pump water for livestock and population in the country. An estimated 1000 of these units were in use in Morocco.Following the rising price of oil after the first oil-price shock in the early 1970s, the days of cheap and plentiful petroleum were drawing to an end. Morocco began to promote and develop renewable energy mainly solar energy.Wind energy is the most promising alternative energy resource in Morocco because of its good geographic location (3446 km of coast, Straits of Gibraltar, Rif and Atlas Mountain at 4167 metres and the Taza corridor) which permits Morocco to have available the largest wind potential in the North Africa. At 10 m, the annual mean wind speed can reach 11m/s in the Tetouan region and 8 m/s in the Dakhla site. The Moroccan wind potentia...