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The Sahara Wind project presented under the conference's theme: Fuelling the Renewable Energy Revolution for a Sustainable Energy Future

Hosted under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water & Environment of Morocco, the 3rd Annual Maghreb/Middle East Renewable Energy Conference 2011 was held on 4-5 July 2011 in Rabat, Morocco. Building on the success of the previous events held in Cairo in 2009 and Marrakech in 2010, this event provided industry and market stakeholders a platform for continued dialogue.

This event brought together regional governments, project financiers, technology providers, investors and other relevant industry stakeholders. The event provided an opportunity to clarify policy issues, financing regulations and PPP frameworks in place to support projects on wind & solar energy.

Renewable potentials and prospects in the Maghreb/Middle East regions are exceptional taking into consideration the average wind speed and solar potentials which rank among the highest in the world. This represents a factor which will ensure that renewable energy will experience considerable growth in order to establish itself as a viable source for power generation in the broader MENA region.

March 22, 2011 - World Water Day: The Global Wind Energy Council calls on policy makers to take urgent decisions for the world’s power generation infrastructure for decades to come.

“As highlighted by the UN today, water scarcity is now a pressing issue in many parts of the world, and this will be exacerbated by climate change,” said Steve Sawyer, GWEC’s Secretary General. “Wind power can make a considerable contribution to conserving the world’s valuable water resources. Unlike most other power sources, which consume huge amounts of water that could be used much more productively for human consumption and agriculture, wind power generation does not use any water.” Some 40% of the world’s population already live in water-stressed areas, and population growth and industrialisation will put further pressure on water availability. Given the high levels of water use in conventional power generation, increasing power demand will aggravate the situation. As a result, global water demand is expected to outstrip supply by 40% by 2030 under a business-as-usual approach.

Sahara Wind project perspectives on sustainable development, education and renewable energy access inspires EU Commission Proposal (March 08, 2011).

The Southern Mediterranean is strategically important for the EU in terms of security of gas and oil supplies from some of the countries but also more broadly in terms of transit from the region and beyond. There is clear potential for building an EU-Mediterranean partnership in the production and management of renewables, in particular solar and wind energy, and in having a joined-up approach to ensuring energy security. Joint renewable energy investments in the Southern Mediterranean in line with the EU's 2050 decarbonisation scenario could offer the possibility of a new partnership provided that the right market perspective is created for electricity imports.

It is desirable to open a credible perspective for the integration of the Southern Mediterranean in the EU internal energy market based on a differentiated and gradual approach. In the mid to long term, this would mean establishing a form of 'EU-Southern Mediterranean Energy Community' starting with the Maghreb countries and possibly expanding progressively to the Mashreq. Extending the Energy Community Treaty with the Union's Eastern and South-Eastern neighbours, or building on its experience, this community should cover relevant parts of the EU's energy legislation with a view to promoting a real and reliable convergence of South Mediterranean partners' energy policies with EU policy.

Entitled "A PARTNERSHIP FOR DEMOCRACY AND SHARED PROSPERITY WITH THE SOUTHERN MEDITERRANEAN " this JOINT COMMUNICATION was issued by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on March 08th 2011.

The Sahara Wind project presented at Red Eléctrica de España headquarters in Madrid, Spain on February 23, 2011.

The industrial synergies linked to the phased deployment of the Sahara Wind project's 5 GW HVDC transmission line presented at the headquarters of Red Eléctrica de España; the grid operator of Spain. Red Eléctrica operates the Spanish electricity systems, in the peninsula and beyond guaranteeing security and continuity of supply over the Spanish territory. The operation of the system encompasses security and continuity of supply, as well production and transmission coordination under quality conditions required by the current regulations.

The Sahara Wind project presented at the Arab Climate Resilience Initiative Regional Forum 3-5 November, 2010 in Skhirat, Morocco

The Arab Climate Resilience Initiative Regional Forum brought together experts, policymakers and representatives of the League of Arab States to stimulate climate policy dialogue and identify key governmental commitments. The Regional Forum on Addressing Climate Change Impacts in the Arab Countries was organized in partnership with UNDP Morocco and the government of Morocco. Regional capacity building in clean energy technologies with the Sahara Wind project academic and industry partners were presented to the Forum’s participants.

As an independent thinker, Dr. Hermann Scheer supported renewables energies on the grounds that such alternatives would provide an environmentally safer, fairer and more globally acceptable alternative for the future of our planet. As German lawmaker, Dr. Hermann Scheer was the architect of a Renewable Energy Legislation which paved the way to the development of renewable energies around the world. His intimate knowledge of the links between policy, energy, economic and environmental issues, together with his enthusiasm provided an unmatched voice in favor of a global transition into renewable energies. As Member of Sahara Wind’s Science and Ethics Committee, his support will be sorely missed. Dr. Hermann Scheer has passed away on October 14th 2010. Our thoughts and prayers go to his wife and daughter. The work of Hermann Scheer will live on through the 'Hermann Scheer Foundation' created to that extent.

The Sahara Wind project presented at the 11th World Renewable Energy Congress 25–30 September 2010 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

At the invitation of the Energy Directorate of the European Commission Directorate General for Research, Khalid Benhamou, Managing Director of Sahara Wind took part in the "Renewable energies: opportunities and challenges of grid integration" EU-Workshop in Abu Dhabi on 27-28 September 2010. During this event, he presented the phased deployment of the Sahara Wind project’s High Voltage Direct Current line which opens the access of the Sahara trade winds to a regional power dispatch. The presentation was carried out in the “Large scale renewable energy supply and grid integration requirements in centralized systems” session of the workshop.

In the framework of the 1000 MW MOROCCAN WIND ENERGY INITIATIVE which aims at (i) the production of electricity using wind energy, (ii) the promotion of a national wind industry and (iii), the establishment of a local high level of expertise and strengthening research and development so as to allow Morocco to master the technological process which has great potential for the improvement of the national economy, the public electric utility of Morocco Office National de l'Electricité et de l'Eau Potable (ONEE), has issued an Invitation for submission of Expression of Interest.

The Office National de l'Electricité (ONE) intends to select a list of companies and consortia to which ONE will address the tender for the development, design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of five wind farms with a total capacity of 850 MW.

In addition to the development of five wind farms for a cumulative capacity of (850 MW), the 1000 MW MOROCCAN WIND ENERGY INITIATIVE includes also the provision and maintenance of equipment necessary for the realization of an additional 200 MW wind farm.

The 850 MW of wind projects will be structured under a "Build Own Operate Transfer" scheme and through public-private partnership where ONE, "Société d'Investissement Energétique" (SIE) and Hassan II Funds will enter in a partnership with the strategic partner presumed contractor at the end of the bidding process.

Updated information on: Office National de l'Electricité et de l'Eau Potable (ONEE)

The Sahara Wind project presented as "Large-scale integration of wind power" at the 9th World Wind Energy Conference in Istanbul, Turkey

World Wind Energy Conference & Exhibition WWEC, the leading event in wind energy, taking place in a different continent each year, was held in Istanbul, Turkey from June 15-17th 2010.

WWEC2010, the 9th World Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition, set up a platform where major players of wind energy technologies, industries and policies gathered together to share the latest technologies and information affecting strategic decisions. The special focus was on how to integrate large capacities of wind power into existing grid infrastructure and how to adjust grid capacities. Turkey with 80 GW wind projects waiting for permission is an excellent example for the corresponding challenges and opportunities.

Sahara Wind at the MENA Power 2010: A Middle East & North Africa Technology and Projects Forum, Conrad Cairo Hotel, Cairo, Egypt - May 24-26, 2010.

MENA POWER 2010 matched MENA policy makers and project stakeholders in the electric power sector with U.S. providers of equipment and service solutions.  To facilitate these opportunities, more than 30 power projects were presented at the Forum  in areas such as gas-fired combined cycle, solar, wind, hydro, biomass, integrated desalination/power, rural electrification, transmission and distribution upgrades and regional interconnection.

Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) electricity demand is growing annually at a rate of 5-6% due to high population growth and energy intensive industrialization. As power demand continues to grow, the Middle East and North Africa Region will need to build new power plants, increase the efficiency of existing plants and transmission and distribution systems, and diversify its energy sources. This presents significant opportunities for U.S. companies that provide products and services to the power sector.

The Sahara Wind project presented at the World Hydrogen Energy Conference 2010

"The Regional Hydrogen Roadmap Project Development Framework for the Sahara Wind Project" was presented during the Renewable Primary Energy Potential for Hydrogen Production session of the 18th World Hydrogen Energy Conference on May 19th 2010 in Essen, Germany.

A reliable energy supply is a necessary precondition for social wellbeing and economic prosperity. The present fossil-fuel-based energy system is relatively inefficient and has been identified as the major cause of global climate change and local air pollution. Furthermore, such fuels are subject to supply-security issues associated with price fluctuations. Today, government, industry and the scientific community are striving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Alternative sources of primary energy and energy-efficiency measures are now being harnessed with a view to improving energy-supply security.

Hydrogen has excellent prospects as an energy hub for a wide range of energy applications in transport and both stationary and portable power generation. Intensive worldwide efforts have resulted in significant advances in technologies used in the supply and use of hydrogen. In view of the many remaining unresolved issues, there is still a strong need for further scientific and technical progress.

Sahara Wind at the Renewable Energies for the Mediterranean conference (Valencia, Spain 11th-12th May 2010).

The Mediterranean Solar Plan, born under the scope of the “Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)”, and launched in July 2008, is one of the strategic processes for sustainable development facing the foreseeable increase of energy demand in the Euro-Mediterranean region, and the need to cut back greenhouse effect gas emissions.

Its main objective is to develop of 20 GW of renewable electricity capacity on the South Shore of the Mediterranean, as well as the necessary infrastructures for the electricity interconnection with Europe. The Plan also envisages Saving and Energy Efficiency, as well as Technology Transfer.

A key element for the development of this Plan is the establishment of a suitable, new regulatory framework to promote the establishment of renewable energies, and facilitating the exchange of electricity.

The Mediterranean Solar Plan must be a huge step ahead in the development of the Euro-Mediterranean co-operation policy in the field of energy, started with the Barcelona process in 1995, integrated in the European Neighbourhood Policy since 2007 and reinforced with the creation of the Union for the Mediterranean since 2008.