The engineering subsidiary of Global Power Generation (GPG), GNF Ingeniería y Desarrollo de Generación (GNFidg), began 2017 by being awarded a new contract for engineering services to third parties.
On 9 February, ONEE (Office National de l’ Électricité et de l’Eau Potable), the State electricity and water utility of Morocco, announced its decision to award the tender for completion of the detailed engineering and preparation of specifications for the subsequent tender of construction contracts for the Agdez hydropower plant in the province of Zagora to GNFidg. The facility, which is expected to have an installed power of 20 MW, will be built to harness the hydro-electric power potential of the River Draa.
GNFidg won this tender as part of a consortium with SETEC EE, a French engineering company with operations in Morocco, and beating Électricité de France (EDF), Tractebel of Belgium, Fichtner of Germany and Pöyry of Finland with a score of 93/100 in the technical evaluation process.
Morocco, energy potential
This project forms part of the energy facilities programme designed by the Government of Morocco in 2010, aimed at increasing the country’s installed electricity generation capacity from renewables to 42% of the total by 2020. This new plan, which promotes the use of these energy sources as an alternative to conventional energy sources, provides for the installation of 2,000 MW of hydro-power alongside 475 MW of hydro-electric power, 2,000 MW of solar power and another 2,000 MW of wind power.
Morocco has deregulated certain stages of the energy sector in recent years to allow private companies to undertake power generation activities following authorisation from ONEE for self-consumption and the subsequent sale of any surplus, or even production for sale to either ONEE or a private consumer with which an electricity supply contract has been signed and validated by ONEE. In both cases, the maximum permitted limit stands at 50 MW.
Due to the know-how and experience accumulated by Spanish companies, they have been awarded a number of significant tenders in recent years. Furthermore, Spain plays a decisive role for the Moroccan electricity sector due to the interconnection between the two countries, via which approximately 14% of their electricity demand is imported and exports take place at peak times.