Morocco is taking its first serious step into offshore wind. The European Investment Bank has appointed a consortium led by Offshore Wind Consultants (OWC) to conduct a two-year feasibility study for the country’s first offshore wind farm, with the potential project located off Morocco’s Atlantic coast near Essaouira.
The project could be much bigger than a pilot experiment. French and Moroccan reports linked to the study describe a potential 1 GW offshore wind farm covering about 211 square kilometres, roughly 10–20 kilometres offshore. If the project clears the feasibility, regulatory and financing hurdles, construction could potentially begin around 2029.
The study will determine whether Morocco can actually build and operate the project at commercial scale. It will assess the wind resource, site conditions, environmental and social impacts, port and logistics infrastructure, grid connections, regulations, risks and the wider offshore-wind supply chain. The EIB is funding the 24-month assignment through its FEMIP Trust Fund, while Morocco’s renewable-energy agency MASEN is backing the initiative.
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The timing is significant. Morocco already has a large renewable-energy base built around onshore wind and solar, but offshore wind opens a different resource — stronger and more consistent winds farther out at sea. It could also create a new industrial opportunity around ports, marine engineering, turbine installation, operations and maintenance, rather than simply adding another source of electricity.
The bigger question is whether Essaouira becomes more than Morocco’s first offshore wind project. If the economics work, the country could establish a blueprint for developing offshore wind along Africa’s Atlantic coast. The next African renewable-energy frontier may not be on land at all — it could be out at sea.
