Morocco has awarded the tender for 13 projects and launched the construction of seven out of the 14 total projects comprising the solar development plan, in the first phase of its Noor II solar power project,
Spearheaded by the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy and the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development, the 400-MW solar megaproject comprises 14 lots spanning seven locations, including Sidi Bennour, Kelaa Sraghna, Taroudant, Bejaad, El Hajeb and Ain Beni Mathar.
Project sites were selected based on several criteria, including suitability for solar PV technology, topography and potential socioeconomic benefits reaped by the region.
Companies that have been awarded tenders for the projects include Moroccan electricity producer Taqa Maroc; Italian renewable energy firm Enel Green Power Morocco; MENA-focused renewable energy company AMEA Power; and French renewables producer Voltalia Maroc.
Under the multi-phase Noor solar development plan, Morocco is seeking to add 2 GW to its installed power generation capacity, with a view to increasing the share of renewable energy in its domestic energy mix to 52% by 2030. Both Noor I and Noor II solar plant projects utilize concentrated solar power technology to generate electricity, with the former completed in 2016.