Morocco Launches Tenders for 300 Megawatts of Solar CSP Projects

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Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land)--By the end of September, tenders will be launched in Morocco for the construction of two concentrated solar power (CSP) plants near the southern city of Ouarzazate, according to government and banking sources. The plants will have capacities of 200 megawatts (MW) and 100 MW.

A 160-MW solar plant is already under construction at Ouarzazate. All three solar plants stem from a Moroccan government initiative to install 2,000 MW of solar power by 2020. This generating capacity would be equivalent to about 38% of the country's current total installed power capacity.

Masen, Morocco's solar energy agency, has selected parabolic mirror technology for the 200-MW plant. Morocco's solar energy agency has selected parabolic mirror technology for the same plant and a solar power tower for the 100-MW plant. A local source said that the final capacity would depend on the contractors, who could bid for more than the announced capacity. This could be the situation for the 100-MW tower, which could be 200 meters high.

The contract for the 160-MW plant was won in 2012 by Saudi Arabia's Acwa Power after offering a price of $0.19 per kilowatt hour (kWh) for power produced by the plant.

The state power utility ONEE has struck agreements with foreign lenders for the construction of about 10 solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant across the country, each with a generating capacity of 30 MW. ONEE aims to stabilize the electricity network amid an annual demand growth rate of 7%.

The World Bank Clean Technology Fund, the European Investment Bank and Germany's KfW Bank have given their initial agreement to assist in financing the project.

For related information, see September 13, 2012, article - Morocco Finds Funds for Ambitious Solar Plants.

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