Applicable Subject Number: 1 GLOBAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL POLICIES AND MARKETS
Policies for the Future: Spreading Awareness of Wind Opportunities (North Africa)
Sahara Wind Project
By: Khalid Benhamou
Managing Director, Sahara Wind
32, Rue Lalla Meryem Souissi,
Rabat 10100 - Morocco.
Tel: +212 61 33 20 68
Voice/Fax: +212 37 65 08 41
E-mail: kb@saharawind.com
www.saharawind.com
Sahara Wind Project
Abstract:
Although the vast majority of the world’s wind energy capacity is currently installed in Europe, the wind
resource of this continent is rather limited. Indeed, very few countries in continental Europe are exposed
to windy climatic conditions, whereas a very high population density limits the available use of land.
Instead of expanding into new markets in order to take advantage of better conditions and possible
synergies that may be developed on a regional basis, the European wind power industry is currently
focusing its efforts on the development of its off-shore wind potential. This solution, even if it cannot be
applied to every EU country, has the advantage to overcome most of the natural limitations that hamper
the development of wind power in Europe. Since this industry has thrived on subsidized premium prices
paid for wind generated electricity available almost exclusively in Europe, the development of the costly
off-shore wind power option reinforces further the justifications for sustaining the prices. As a result, the
current research trends in wind turbine design tend to favor the development of larger, sometimes
gigantic machines aimed at reducing the impact on the costs of sea foundations for Off-Shore
applications. This will have perverse effects on the export capacity of what could have been a promising
(almost exclusive) European technology to proliferate beyond the EU’s subsidized market setting. The
latest trends where the EU market represented 88% of world’s wind market in 2002 seems appalling. In
fact, the largest share of the world’s wind energy potential lies in developing countries that have much
better possibilities and where it has not yet been fully exploited. Some preliminary estimates based on
almost a decade of on-site wind measurements, have proven that North Africa, particularly the Trade
Wind blown Atlantic coastline of Morocco through Mauritania, has one of the world’s largest wind energy
potential.
The objective of the project is to enable the demonstration that a large scale wind energy project can be
commercially viable and self-sustaining only in the Moroccan/Mediterranean setting and possibly beyond.
The initial project concept targets a large, 5 GW scale on-grid wind energy production facility in the
Tarfaya area (in South Morocco), aimed at supplying at competitive costs the Spanish renewable
electricity market, through a dedicated High Voltage DC export line. A 5 GW High Voltage Direct Current
(HVDC) transmission line can transfer wind generated electricity from the Saharan plateaus to Spain,
over a distance of 1300 km with losses of about 4%. According to our conservative estimates, the steady
trade winds blowing in this area, shall enable us to deliver the equivalent yearly production of 5 GW
capacity of Wind Power to Spain, within the European Union at costs as low as: Euro 3,7 cents/kWh. This
price that take into account all infrastructure costs, HVDC lines with sea cables, converting station, and
transmission losses have been obtained assuming a yearly average production of 3400 Full Load Hours,
with a price of 1000 €/kW rated Wind Turbine capacity, 5 % real interest rate, 20 years lifetime, 2% of
total investment as annual Operation & Maintenance costs. The specific costs of wind energy have
dropped significantly in the last 20 years, and the average costs of installed wind power in Spain were
down already to 850 €/kW in the year 2000. If we consider the fact that wind turbines used in the Sahara
desert won’t require any of the costly design features required in Europe, the price of wind turbines are
expected to drop even further. Besides, on such large power project, local manufacturing will enable
tremendous economies of scale to be made.
The Saharawind project serves as an initiative of a market based, renewable energy option that
addresses global climate change issues, while creating large business and investment opportunities. The
option of utilizing large wind blown areas in the vicinity of Europe such as the Saharan coast is
economically competitive and would enhance the energy security of Europe’s by adding new "clean"
capacity to its grid with a diversified source of supply. Morocco and Mauritania have very little economical
resources, and regional economical issues, are key to this region’s survival. The labor intensive and
sustainable aspect of the renewable energies match very well with the nature of this regions economical
challenges. Enabling non-oil producing North African economies to participate in being integrated to the
European Union’s economy, utilizing clean renewable resources that otherwise cannot be taped,
represents a win-win situation for all.
While the EU is most active politically in the enforcement of environmental targets worldwide, the
implementation of these, will represent quite a challenge that some countries within the EU will have to
meet. Due to its rapid economic development, the Iberian peninsula has for instance, increased its
greenhouse gases emission by 50% since 1990. As the fifth largest greenhouse gas emitter of the EU,
Spain with its actual progressive energy policy towards renewables, will still miss its Kyoto greenhouse
gases emissions target requirements by over 30% in 2010, according to the EU Commission environment
directorate’s most recent survey. As a consequence, and despite EU burden sharing agreements and
‘over-cutting’ measures by other member countries, the EU may not be in a position to meet its Kyoto
target requirements by 2010.
The unveiling of the large wind power potential of the Sahara wind resource combined with the
tremendous wind power developments that have taken place in Europe, have contributed to develop our
current project concept. The overall goal of the Sahara Wind project is to propose a more comprehensive
approach to the wind energy developments in Morocco (or North Africa) by linking them to Spain’s and to
some extent Europe’s. As a unique power integration opportunity between Europe and North Africa, the 5
GW Sahara Wind Project would offset over 20 million tons of CO2 emissions/year if produced by fossil
energies such as coal. To sequestrate this carbon, the planting of over one Billion trees would have been
necessary. This represents a significant gain for the environment, considering the fact that not a single
tree can be planted in the Sahara desert, where the project is located.
Such a large scale project would provide a tremendous boost to the Wind power industry clearing its path
to a bright sustainable future.
Curriculum Vitae: Khalid Benhamou
Born in Brussels, Belgium 1967.
Grew up in Morocco, attended French High School (baccalauréat 1986)
Graduated as an Engineer from California Polytechnic State University, in 1991.
From 1992 until 2000
Occupied various positions within the King of Morocco's private Farms operations.
Promoted the use of Wind Energy and erected Morocco's first large wind turbine, in the Sahara
Atlantic Coast, on one of the King's farms, in 1995.
With the tremendous Wind Power development taking place in Europe, the potential of this area
appeared obvious and the prospect for exporting electricity to Europe through a specialized
transmission line became a viable option. The legal framework of this option was discussed
within the EU commission in Brussels in 1998.
Today, Sahara Wind has been set up as a private company in order to develop the project, and
line up private investors in a consortium that will be large enough to secure equity funds for this
project.
Further information’s on myself (Complete CV) available upon request.