Assessment of offshore wind potential in Morocco

In this research, a specific study on the evaluation of wind energy resources along the Atlantic coast of Morocco has been developed, utilising numerical modelling data. To evaluate the spatial distribution of wind power, 18 data points were chosen along this coast. Moreover, the adjustment of wind data and the statement of estimation methods related to form and scale parameters of the Weibull distribution was conducted after a thorough literature review. Then, a study and analysis of wind data based on its speed and direction were carried out, taking into account a five-year period between 2013 and 2017. These study findings denote higher energy production in areas where there is no physical barrier all along the Atlantic coast, whereas, in the extreme north and southern sites, the energy resource is considerably lower because of the shadow effect of the Iberian Peninsula and the Canary Islands, respectively. Copyright © 2021 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.