[Haichuan Overseas Engineering] Chinese company undertakes first \"turnkey\" gas turbine project in North Africa; Al Wahda Natural Gas Plant in Morocco enters the main construction phase

Thread Content

Construction of Morocco’s largest gas turbine power plant, the Al Wahda Power Plant, has reached a critical stage, with engineers completing the pouring of the concrete foundation for the first turbine unit. This progress marks the full transition of the project into the heavy civil construction phase, following months of preparation and ground reinforcement work. Project officials said that this critical phase has injected new momentum into this highly anticipated power plant, helping Morocco expand its domestic power generation capacity and alleviate **grid pressure. Located in the Tangier-Hussemah region, the power plant will be equipped with two 495MW units using H-class technology, and upon completion it will become one of the most advanced natural gas power plants on the African continent. As the consortium team dedicates itself to the construction of infrastructure and core facilities, the civil engineering work is accelerating significantly. The on-site construction teams are steadily carrying out foundation pouring, floor slab formation, and various large-scale civil engineering tasks, laying the groundwork for the installation of key equipment in the future. Engineers say that the transition from the preliminary preparation stages to full-scale structural construction represents a critical milestone, especially considering the scale of the facility and the technical requirements of the turbines it will house. This project is notable not only for its scale but also because it marks the first time a Chinese company has undertaken a \"turnkey\" gas turbine project in North Africa. Energy planners believe this reflects the increasing diversity of Morocco’s international partners; as the country strives to ensure a reliable power supply, it continues to advance its strategy for a long-term transition to renewable energy. Mitsubishi Power (part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) has been selected to work with Morocco’s Office of Electricity and Drinking Water to supply and install two M701JAC gas turbines along with related systems. Once installed and calibrated, this equipment is expected to further enhance grid stability and help balance the intermittency of solar and wind power generation, thereby supporting Morocco in achieving its energy transition goals by 2030.