During COP22 in Marrakech, host country Morocco said it may launch tenders for two solar power plants with a combined capacity of 800 MW by the start of 2017, according to Reuters.
Morocco wants to achieve 52% of renewable energy in its total energy mix, increasing from 28% of installed capacity today. It wants to have 10 GW of combined solar and wind power capacity by 2030., up from its former 2009 target of 4 GW by 2020.
In October 2016, the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (Masen) had invited pre-qualification bids for the construction of solar plants that will cumulatively produce up to 400 MW to be built near Midelt. Results for this round are expected in the next few weeks, post which tenders will be launched in the beginning of 2017.
The two proposed solar plants – using PV and CSP/storage technology – are likely to cost around €2 billion. Part of this will come from German Development Bank KfW, which has agreed to lend Morocco €710 million for these projects. The other lenders may include the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB), Masen President Mustapha Bakkoury told Reuters. KFW had earlier supported the development of the second phase of the 580 MW Ouarzazate project or Noor Power Station, which includes 510 MW of CSP and 70 MW of PV capacity.
Additionally, Masen signed an agreement with Riyadh based ACWA Power to develop and operate a 176 MW PV facility Noor PV in Morocco. Noor is a solar program, which will see solar power development in various stages. Along with Ouarzazate, there is Noor Tafilalt and Atlas of 300 MW PV capacity, Noor Midelt having 300 MW PV capacity and 300 MW of CSP, Noor Laayoune and Boujdour with 100 MW PV, Noor Tata with 300 MW of PV and CSP capacity each. Along with these, there is 150 MW of PV capacity envisioned in the form of solar power plants in the economic zones.
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