Morocco, UAE sign agreement to build two power plants 

(MENAFN - Morocco Business News) Morocco and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed on Tuesday an agreement to build two additional electric units in the Jorf Lasfar station, with a capacity of 350 megawatts each.

The agreement, whose signing ceremony was chaired by King Mohammed VI, Prince Moulay Rachid and Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and UAE's Armed Forces Deputy Supreme Commander, is part of the ONE's plan to boost electricity production in the country.

It was signed by the Director General of Morocco's electricity office (ONE), Ali Fassi Fihri, the Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Committee, Mohamed Ahmed Bouardi and Director of the Jorf Lasfar Energy company (JLEC/TAQA).

Costing MAD 10 billion (about USD 1.2 billion), the project is an example of the country's new approach favouring public-private partnership in terms of electricity production.

JLEC/TAQA will thus take charge of designing, financing, building and operating the two new units. It will also expand the existing coal dock and take care of the maintenance works of the whole project, which is expected to be operational in 2013.

Another contract guaranteeing the purchase by ONE of the project's produced electricity will be signed. It will be effective for 30 years.

JLEC is a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi's TAQA group, a leading company in the energy sector. It is currently exploiting Jorf Lasfar's four units, whose production capacity stands at 330 KW each.