The region added 1.13GW in 2014 — a yearly increase of 120% — led by South Africa and Morocco. According to Windpower Intelligence, the data division of Windpower Monthly, total capacity in MEA at the end of 2014 stood at 2.5GW. A further 600MW has been added in 2015 so far.
South Africa will retain its largest market status in the region over the next ten years, with more than 5GW to be added, Make believes.
The country reached 575MW commissioned by end-2014, against just 10MW online a year earlier, according to the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA).
SAWEA said an additional 505MW is scheduled for connection this year. All capacity building comes from the 2011 first round (651MW) and 2012 second round (787MW) calls to tender for wind development, under the government's 2010 renewable energy independent power producers programme (REIPPP).
South Africa, Ethiopia, Morocco and Egypt are expected to contribute 55% to the regions total over the ten-year period. Tanzania, Ghana and Senegal are also expected to emerge, Make said.
Although Egypt installed no new capacity last year, remaining at 550MW for the second year in a row, tackling the electricity deficit is now a key area of government policy in the face of growing social unrest.
Last year the government awarded six projects totalling 600MW to domestic company El-Sewedy Electric under a build, own and operate contract. The government also launched a tender for independent power producers under the new feed-in tariff, targeting 2GW by 2017.
Make predicts annual growth in Egypt to average 23% over the coming decade.
