Technical-Economic Assessment of Wind Energy Resources in Southern Morocco

Abstract

Due to the development of renewable energy technologies in recent decades, the demand of energy researchers, and energy planners and investors for reliable data on the spatial distribution of their potentials and costs has increased. The accurate and comprehensive description of wind resources is an essential factor for wind farm planning and for knowing the effect of wind behaviour on the performance of selected wind turbines and the stability of energy produced. Wind offshore potential exploration is still in its early stages, unlike the case of onshore wind potential. This paper reviews three modes of wind energy production in southern Morocco, based on 10 years of hourly data at a height of 100 m, and assumptions for analysing economic, geographical, technical, and feasible onshore, nearshore, offshore wind potentials. We address each of these potentials in turn, including aspects related to field criteria, and technical developments of wind turbine characteristics such as capacity factory and annual energy production. Economic aspects of potential assessments are discussed on a turbine and system level including levelized costs depending on locations.