Morocco tenders for 300 MW of concentrated solar

• 10 years ago (2013-08-02)
• Junior Isles

Europe 1061 Middle East 311 Renewables 752

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The Moroccan government has announced tenders for a pair of concentrated solar power plants with a generation capacity of 200 MW and 100 MW, respectively to be built near the south-Moroccan city of Ouarzazate.

Concentrated solar power relies on an array of precisely curved mirrors to focus sunlight onto a tower to generate heat that heats a fluid to produce steam to run a steam turbine .

"The capacity will depend on the contractors, who could bid for more than the announced capacity, especially with the 100 MW tower which could reach 200 m, the highest tower ever seen in Morocco," said one source close to Morocco’s Solar Energy Agency, which will run the tender.

The projects will be supported through grants from the World Bank's Clean Technology Fund, the European Investment Bank and German state-owned KfW Bank.

Morocco is continuing to invest heavily in solar power generation, capitalising on having one of the highest rates of solar insolation in the world at around 3000 hours of sunshine per year.

May this year has already seen Saudi Arabian company Acwa Power begin construction of a 160 MW solar power plant in the Ouarzazate area.

Morocco continues to be highly dependent on energy imports from Spain, but increasing diversification of its power infrastructure, and growth of untapped domestic solar potential opens the door to energy independence in the future.

Morocco recently signed contracts with Chinese firm Sepco III to build a 318 MW coal-fired plant to help meet its growing power demand, increasing 7 per cent year-on-year, and also pave the way to becoming an energy exporter.

State power utility ONE already has plans and funding in place to develop 10 smaller solar PV plants generating 30 MW each around the country, to help with demand and grid balancing.