Experts
This individual is not a direct affiliate of the Policy Center for the New South. They have contributed to one or more of our events, publications, or projects. Please contact the individual at their home institution.
Khalid Benhamou is the Director of Sahara Wind, having, in 1995, erected Morocco's first 50 kW experimental wind turbine on the Sahara coastline, revealing the potential of the Atlantic trade winds in the region. This led to the inception of the Sahara Wind-HVDC multi-Giga-Watt transmission project in 2002, presented at the European Parliament and a catalyst for Euro-Mediterranean initiatives. As original project concept developer, Khalid established the Sahara Wind project’s 400-500 MW threshold capacity, phased roll-out and Terms of References of its 5GW HVDC line in collaboration with ONEE of Morocco, before its submission for funding to UNDP-GEF-World Bank in 2005. He also established the connection between the Atlantic trade winds and Morocco's phosphate rock deposits. In other achievements, among others, he launched the region's first Science for Peace & Security projects, co-funded by NATO, in 2007 and commissioned Africa's first green wind-hydrogen powered systems (30 kW) at Moroccan and Mauritanian universities in 2012, anticipating the region's green hydrogen developments. For Morocco's Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN), he identified substantial underground green hydrogen storage capacities in deep salt domes and played a crucial role in shaping Morocco's Green Hydrogen roadmap implementation, enhancing thereby Mauritania's green hydrogen prospects and contributing to North Africa and Europe's energy security.
