Morocco Launches Solar & Storage Tender

• Masen has launched a tender for 400 MW solar PV and 400 MWh storage capacity  
• This round will select pre-qualifiers for phase III of the Noor Midelt project in Morocco  
• Broad scope of work for the winner will be to finance, own and operate the project 

The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) has opened the competitive solicitation process for the Noor Midelt III project, seeking interested bidders to set up a 400 MW PV plant with 400 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity.    

Winner will be expected to finance, construct and operate the project in the country's Midelt region where Masen is advancing Noor Midelt I and II projects.  

The pre-qualification tender was launched on August 9, 2023. The last date to submit applications for the call with reference RFQ/30/2023/MASEN is October 20, 2023. Details are available on Masen's e-tendering website.   

While 800 MW Noor Midelt I project is being developed by the winning consortia of EDF Renewables, the Noor Midelt II is also a 400 MW solar PV project with 2 hours of storage.  

In July 2023, Masen released a list of pre-qualifiers for Noor Midelt II auction as the following consortiums of:  

• Spain's COBRA 
• France's EDF Renouvelables and Abu Dhabi's Masdar 
• Italy's Enel Green Power and Morocco's TAQA  
• Spain's Iberdrola, China's Dongfang Electric International Corporation and Morocco's GAIA  
• Belgium's International Power and Morocco's Nareva Holding, and  
• Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power. 

Masen says all 3 stages of Noor Midelt will take the total capacity of the project to about 1.6 GW, and mobilize private sector investment in the country's renewable energy development.   

Morocco aims for a minimum 52% of its national power mix to comprise renewable energy by 2030. Currently, it has 4.4 GW of wind, hydro and solar power capacity in operation. At the end of 2022, Morocco's total installed solar energy capacity was 830 MW.