Morocco Finds Place in the Sun for Decentralized Photovoltaic Power Generation

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). The Moroccan Office National d'Electricite (ONE) is continuing with a multi-pronged approach to developing the country's generating capacity, and upgrading electricity distribution, and availability in rural areas.

The current solar power electrification program being implemented by ONE covers 16,000 households in rural regions remote from the electricity grid and scattered housing southeast of the capital, Rabat, and Casablanca. Each household will be equipped with a solar panel and battery system to supply power for lighting and domestic appliances. Installation of the systems will take place over a period of four years, and will be completed in 2006.

The decentralized power supply concept for small photovoltaic (PV) systems is a much more economical alternative for Morocco and allows for strong participation of private PV companies in the installation, maintenance, and repair of the systems. With over 300 days of sunshine per year conditions for solar energy are ideal. Plans are in place for 6,200 villages with a total of 180,000 households to be electrified with PV home systems in Morocco.

Only 40 percent of the population has access to electricity and expanding the integrated power network to the rural areas could only be achieved at an impractically high cost.

The German KfW bank is supporting the solar projects with a grant of $5.5 million and the German federal government has given $11.3 million for further research on the development of technologies for high temperature solar-thermal power generation for the next two years. The research will focus on the types of systems that can be implemented in the short and medium term in southern Europe, northern Africa, and other suitable regions. The bank believes, that apart from energy conservation, the use of renewable energy is the most effective contribution to climate protection. In the field of solar energy, solar thermal systems offer the most economical means of power generation.

Three partners in a company known as Total EDF Marco Solaire (TEMASOL) will execute the long to medium, ten year, program and ensure service delivery. The company will use Total Energie's (NYSE:TOT) (Paris, France) PV systems and under a ten year contract will have full responsibility for the program including the collection of fees paid by users.

Morocco's transmission system will be strengthened by an Alstom (NYSE:ALS) (Paris, France) led consortium which has won a $75v million turnkey contract to supply three new extra high voltage substations and upgrade another as part of ONE's program to build the country's 400kV network and improve links with neighboring countries.

Alstom's transmission and distribution (T&D) sector will carry out the design and engineering of the 400/225 kV substations and supply the equipment, which includes circuit breakers, power transformers, shunt reactors and associated protection and control systems. Local partners will carry out erection and civil works.