(Photo credit: BELGAIMAGE)
Solar in Morocco is reaching new hights!
With the countries total investment reaching $9bn, the Moroccan government’s ambitious plan for solar is being viewed as a pioneer in establishing a secure and sustainable renewable energy supply.
In 2016, Morocco’s solar target was to reach 2000MW by 2020. In 2024, electricity from renewable sources makes up two-fifths of the nations’ total energy generation. Now the government want to increase the amount of renewable technology in its electricity mix to 53% of its total generation by 2030. As it stands, solar makes up 20% of its total electricity mix.
The three main solar technologies used in Morocco include Solar Thermal, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), and Photovoltaics. All of these technologies are used at the 5 major solar parks in the country. They are:
– Laayoune Solar Park (Located in Sahara)
– Boujdour Solar Park (Located in Western Sahara),
– Tarfaya Solar Park (Located in the South of Agadir),
– Ain Beni Mathar Solar Park (Located in the centre of Morocco)
– Ouarzazate Solar Park (With a 500MW capacity)
Morocco has already established itself as a key player in the Mediterranean Solar Plan and the Desertec Industrial Initiative due to it being the only country to have a power cable link to Europe.
The Ouarzazate Solar Park is seen as the pinnacle of solar generation in Morocco. It was the first solar farm to be implemented under the Morocco solar plan and have received a $23bn investment. It has been operational since 2016 and produces around 1.2TwH a year from solar power. This is approximately enough electricity for 1mn people in the region.
The Noor1 CSP 160MW was the first phase of construction in 2016, receiving funding from the German Investment Bank, European Investment Bank, and the World Bank.
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