Safi power station
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Safi power station is an operating power station of at least 1386-megawatts (MW) in Cap Ghir Safi, Souss-Massa, Morocco.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Safi power station | Cap Ghir Safi, Souss-Massa, Morocco | 32.149115, -9.282294 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2: 32.149115, -9.282294
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal - unknown | 693 | ultra-supercritical | 2018 | – |
| Unit 2 | operating | coal - unknown | 693 | ultra-supercritical | 2018 | – |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner |
|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Safi Energy Company SA (SAFIEC) [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Safi Energy Company SA (SAFIEC) [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): Agadir
Background
GDF Suez (now Engie) and Nareva won the US$2.68 billion tender to build and operate the plant in 2010, and Mitsui joined the venture in 2013, and became the Safi Energy Company. In September 2013, L'Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau Potable (ONEE) and Safi Energy Company entered into a 30-year "Power Purchase Agreement" for the Safi coal-fired power project. The project includes the construction and operation of a 2 × 693 MW ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant in the coastal Safi region and the sale of electricity to Morocco's national utility ONEE for 30 years following completion of the plant.[1]
Construction began in 2015 and was carried out by Daewoo Engineering & Construction, with O&M provided by Safi Energy Company. The total investment was US$2.6 billion.[2] This plant is the first coal-fired power station in Africa to use ultra-supercritical technology.[3]
In February 2018, it was reported that plant contractor Daewoo Engineering and Construction was expected to face losses of up to US$400 million in the US$1.8 billion project as the heating facilities of the plant broke during test operations under construction.[4]
The plant began operation in December 2018.[5][6]
In November 2022, Reclaim Finance reported that Engie was considering selling its stake in the Safi power station.[7]
Financing
In September 2014, a financing agreement for the project closed. US$2,103 million in loans were provided by Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Mizuho Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Societe Generale, Credit Agricole Group, BNP Paribas, MUFG Bank, Islamic Development Bank, Attijariwafa Bank, and Banque Centrale Populaire de Maroc. US$520 million in equity was provided by Nareva Holding, Engie, and Mitsui & Co. HSBC acted as the financial adviser to the National Electricity Office.[8] The private banks participating in the financing package received insurance coverage from Nippon Export and Investment Insurance.[9]
In November 2021, it was reported that Safi Energy Company (Safiec) failed to renew the guarantee that Standard Chartered Bank had made available to it at the time of the syndicated financing.[10]
Opposition
On March 29, 2014, hundreds demonstrated on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, against the establishment of the Safi power station. Protestors argued that it could increase air pollution for years. The Safi power station is near one of the most important ports country as well as an industrial complex of transformation of phosphate.[11] On September 21st, 2014, the Network for the Defense of the Environment organized a protest against the Safi plant, in relation to a United Nations Climate Summit. The Environmental Defense Network also denounced the Safi thermal project and called on citizens to join the opposition. They cited concerns for carbon emissions and chemical gases.[12]
In mid-2017, residents near the Safi power plant opposed the plant in fear of the greed of companies and seizure of lands. They also feared mysterious fumes in the neighborhood.[13]
In 2019, private citizens also posted on Facebook, regarding the Safi power plant and opposition.[14]
A private citizen also released an article, highlighting how they are tired of pollution and exploitations from the city of Safi, resulting in unemployment and lack of political action. They cite that a number of city activists have protested the Safi thermal station as an extreme danger to the environment and a possible cause of air pollution.[15]
In June 2023, a human rights group in Safi announced that they were suing the general director of the Safi Energy Company for “systematic abuse of the environment and the population” caused by the power station.[16]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "Power Purchase Agreement signed for Safi independent power project (2x693 MW) in Morocco," GDF Suez, September 10, 2013
- ↑ "Safi Power Plant, Morocco," Heidelberg Cement, accessed May 2017
- ↑ "SAFIEC (SAFI ENERGY COMPANY)," lkakhadma, August 17, 2021
- ↑ "Daewoo E&C faces big loss in Morocco," Korea Times, February 8, 2018
- ↑ "Spain to build 700 MW cable with Morocco amid import surge," Montel, February 15, 2019
- ↑ "Spain could use by-pass clause to fend off Moroccan power exports," S&P Global, May 9, 2019
- ↑ "ENGIE’s dirty coal phase-out: replacing one problem with another," Reclaim Finance, November 16, 2022
- ↑ of Safi Coal-fired Power Plant (IPP) (1320MW)," IJGlobal, accessed December 10, 2020
- ↑ "モロッコ王国/Safi高効率火力発電プロジェクト(融資保険の引受)," Nippon Export and Investment Insurance, September 30, 2014
- ↑ "Centrale thermique de Safi : la garantie de Standard Chartered Bank n’a pas été renouvelée," le Desk, November 21, 2021 (paywall)
- ↑ "The thermal power station which revolts the Moroccans of Safi," France 24, April 2, 2014
- ↑ "A local network criticizes the Safi Thermal Power Project," Ibrahim Maghraoui, September 22, 2014
- ↑ "The coal burning experiments at the Safi Thermal Station raise residents’ fears of their mysterious fumes," Lakome2, September 19, 2017
- ↑ "Facebook Posts," حملة خنقتونا بآسفي, October 18, 2019
- ↑ "Triad of pollution…," Anwal Press
- ↑ “حقوقيون يقاضون مدير“آسفي للطاقة” ويدرسون رفع دعوى أمام القضاء البلجيكي,” June 25, 2023
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
