TAQA Morocco, a company linked to Abu Dhabi’s TAQA Group, is preparing to build several large-scale energy and water projects in Morocco. The work will be carried out with Nareva, a Moroccan energy company, and the Mohammed VI Fund for Investment. All three parties will jointly manage the new developments, which are planned to be built through to 2030.
The total cost of the work is expected to reach around 130 billion dirhams. That is roughly $14 billion. The project partners have signed agreements with Moroccan authorities and ONEE, the national body in charge of electricity and drinking water.
The first part of the plan is to produce a large amount of clean water using desalination. About 900 million cubic metres of water are to be produced. A new transport network will be set up to move most of this water, up to 800 million cubic metres.
The second part focuses on power generation. A gas-fired power station at Tahaddart, which currently produces 400 megawatts, will be taken over. In addition, 1,100 megawatts of new capacity will be built using combined-cycle gas turbine systems. These plants will supply the electricity grid with continuous output.
Another piece of the plan involves adding 1,200 megawatts of renewable energy capacity. This electricity will be sold to ONEE through contracts.
The fourth project involves a transmission line. This line will use high-voltage direct current (HVDC) to move electricity efficiently across large areas. The line is planned to carry around 3,000 megawatts of power once complete.
In these projects, TAQA Morocco and Nareva will each hold 42.5 percent ownership. The rest, 15 percent, will be held by the Mohammed VI Fund.
In Abu Dhabi, smaller renewable systems are also under way. At the Al Mirfa site, rooftop solar panels on utility buildings now supply 2.4 megawatts of electricity directly to site operations. A similar solar setup is in testing at the Umm Al Nar facility. That system is expected to produce 1.8 megawatts once connected.
