The National Electricity Office (ONE) and the Finnish company "Wartsila" signed Tuesday a contract for the extension of the Dakhla-based Central Gas Turbine to increase production the city’s electric power capacity by 16.5 MW.
The contract was signed at the headquarters of the wilaya of Oued Eddahab-Lagouira by Mr. Younes Maamar, executive director of ONE and Mr. Alain Pilot, commercial director of the Finnish company Wartsila, in the presence of the ambassador of Finland to Morocco, Mr. Anti Rytovuori, executive director of the Agency for the Economic and Social development in the southern provinces, Mr. Ahmed Hajji, and the wali of the region Oued Eddahab-Lagouira, governor of the Oued Eddahab province, Mr. Mohamed Saleh Tamek.
The project, worth a total of MAD 184 million, involves extending the existing power plant, which includes three Diesel groups 7 MW each, by putting into service a fourth diesel group of 16.5 MW.
Scheduled to be put into service early in the 2nd half, this project is part of the emergency plan launched by ONE in 2006 to cope with the rapid growth of domestic electricity demand.
In a statement to the press, the ambassador of Finland in Morocco highlighted the "very positive development" of relations between Morocco and Finland, stressing that the kingdom "is among the most important economic partners" of his country.
Welcoming also the dynamic growth of trade between the two countries, he said that the agreement signed in Dakhla will strengthen these relationships and open new prospects for partnership between companies in both countries.
For his part, Mr. Hajji stressed the strategic importance of this new project which aims to set up new plant doubling, therefore, the ability to produce electrical energy in the town of Dakhla.
For his part, Mr. Maamar said that this major contract with the Finnish company aims to increase the production capacity of the town of Dakhla, which currently has a production capacity of 20 MW.
He added that this project would help support economic growth in Dakhla in various sectors and strengthen its infrastructure and production facilities.
Mr. Pilot welcomed, meanwhile, the signing of this contract between Wartsila and ONE reflecting, he said, "trust and mutual understanding between the two parties".
He expressed the company’s readiness to deepen its cooperation with ONE developing projects on the African continent.
The delegation visited thereafter the town of Tan Tan to inspect the construction site of a future Central with a capacity of 115MW. The project was awarded to the company Wartsila for an amount of MAD 980 million. Its implementation is scheduled for the beginning of the 1st quarter 2009.
Source: MAP
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