According to NOSADE, to the south and east of the Atlas mountains, the climate becomes very hot and dry. This is where Morocco’s deserts begin. Quiet, scarcely populated and sheer endless in size, the south of the country contains few settlements
and even fewer urban centers. Only gravel and rock are left behind once the fine-grained sand particles are blown away by the relentless winds.
At the edge of the Saharan Desert, lies one of the world’s largest solar mega plants. It is located about 200 kilometers from Marrakesh, in the Moroccan desert to the south. The location is ideal because of the incessant solar irradiation, with approximately
330 days of sunshine all year round. It is 10km away from Ouarzazate, a city whose name means the door to the desert.
The solar plant was an initiative to provide power to the Moroccan natives. Besides meeting the domestic power needs, the country is hopeful that a time will come when they will export their solar energy to Europe. This is one of the plants that is defining
the future of energy in Africa and the world at large.
Morocco had set a target to try and achieve 50% renewable energy by 2030. Mohammed Abunayyan, the chairman of ACWA Power stated that the program aims to deliver clean electricity at a low cost. In addition to inching closer to the sustainable development goal number 7 which aims to “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all,” the project will help create job opportunities and foster economic development.
The Noor solar plant was implemented in 4 phases and the final phase is currently underway with its completion expected around the first quarter of 2018. The Ouarzazate solar complex has a capacity of 580MW. The complex constitutes the Noor 1 CSP power station of 160MW, completed in early February 2016, the Noor 2 CSP of 200MW and the Noor 3 CSP of 150MW. The last three phases are on their way to completion. The fourth phase of the project is part of the Noor PV 1 program, which encompasses the construction of a solar PV plant in Laayoune and another solar PV power station in Boujdour, sized at 30MW and 20MW respectively.
The drop in costs of solar power has made it a possible alternative to fossil fuels even in the areas most endowed with oil. The first phase of the Moroccan solar complex has already exceeded expectations with regards to the amount of energy it has generated. This is encouraging to the country as it augurs well with its aim of reducing fossil fuel consumption through focus on renewable energy technologies. At the same time, the country is able to meet the growing energy demands, approximated to be at a 7% growth rate annually. The stability of the Moroccan government and economy was a major factor in helping it secure funding from the European Union, such as the EIB, which put up 60% of the cost for the project.
This is a challenge to the rest of the Sub-Saharan countries to follow in the steps of this solar project worth watching. The region is enriched with abundant sunlight and is a good spot for setting up utility-scale solar projects.
For more detailed information about the Ouarzazate solar complex, follow this link: www.bbc.com/future/story/20161129-the-colossal-african-solar-farm-that-could-power-europe
Annals of A Tech Fanatic 