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The Islamic Development Bank signed a $200m loan agreement on 11 February to support the construction of the 45MW M’Dez and 125MW El Menzel hydroelectric power stations. The two plants form the M’Dez El Menzel complex, which is a key development for the Upper Sebou River.

GDF Suez, in partnership with Morocco’s Nareva Holding, has won a contract to build the 300MW Tarfaya wind farm. The Tarfaya farm will be developed on a build, own, operate, transfer basis and supply electricity to state utility Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau Potable under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) said on 28 January it had signed final agreements marking the close of the $1.4bn project financing for the expansion of the Jorf Lasfar Electricity Company (JLEL) power plant (AE 234/8). JLEL is already the largest coal-fired power plant in the Middle East and North Africa and the first independent power producer in Morocco, supplying 40% of the kingdom’s electricity output.

Also moving into Morocco is US minnow Plains Exploration and Production Company (PXP), which is to pay Australian independent Pura Vida Energy $15m upfront for a 52% stake in the Magazan deep-water permit.

The 22 January announcement by Chevron Corporation that its Chevron Morocco Exploration Ltd subsidiary had signed petroleum agreements with the state Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (Onhym) for three offshore areas underlines the extent of international oil company (IOC) enthusiasm for entry into the Moroccan Atlantic Margin offshore play.

Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau Potable has published notice of prequalification for the 350MW Abdelmoumen pumped storage project in Taroudant Province. The turnkey contract will include implementation studies, civil works, materials and equipment supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the power plant.

Following its success at drawing in cheap financing and qualified bidders for the 160MW first phase of the 500MW Ouarzazate independent power project (IPP), Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (Masen) has issued prequalification bids to install another 300MW at the southern site.

AIM-listed Gulfsands Petroleum has reached an agreement with Caithness Petroleum to acquire Cabre Maroc, which has oil and gas exploration and exploitation licences covering 13,352km2 in northern Morocco.

Amid its financial problems, one bright spot for Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau, the merged entity created from the kingdom’s power and water utilities, is that Morocco continues to be a favourite for financiers.

Office National d'Electricité et de l’Eau Potable has released the 2013 procurement plan for the Integrated Wind and Rural Electrification project. Three tenders worth an estimated combined total of €222m ($290m) will be sought during the year.

Portugal’s Galp Energia has agreed to farm into Tangiers Petroleum’s Tarfaya Offshore area, taking a 50% stake and assuming operatorship. Tangiers will retain a 25% interest, and the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (Onhym), the Moroccan state company, will maintain its 25% interest.

Germany’s RWE Dea is considering the sale of its 20% working interest in the Repsol-operated Canaries 1-9 concession, located east of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura in the Aaiun-Tarfaya sedimentary basin.

The European Investment Bank, the Agence Française de Développement, Germany’s KfW Entwicklungsbank and the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy made financial commitments on 19 November totaling €300m ($390m) for the Ouarzazate solar complex.

As interest in Morocco’s exploration potential increases, former BP boss Tony Hayward’s Genel Energy has continued its acquisition trail, signing an agreement with the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (Onhym), giving it a 75% operating stake in the Mir Left Offshore Block, immediately north-east of its Sidi Moussa Offshore Block (AE 242/4). Onhym will hold the other 25%.

While renewables projects in North Africa have been making progress – led by Moroccan solar development agency Masen’s 125MW first concentrated solar power phase of the 500MW Ouarzazate scheme – the most highly publicised, ambitious scheme of all, the Desertec Industrial Initiative (Dii), is struggling to convince sceptics it can revolutionise patterns of electricity generation south of the Mediterranean and of supply within the European Union area.