Solar power in Morocco

Solar power in Morocco is enabled by the country having very high rates of solar insolation — about 3,000 hours per year of sunshine, which rises to 3,600 hours in the desert. Morocco has launched one of the world’s largest solar energy projects costing an estimated $9 billion. The aim of the project was to create 2,000 megawatts of solar generation capacity by 2020.AfDB helps fund $1.44bn Moroccan solar project The Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN), a public-private venture, was established to lead the project. The first plant, Ouarzazate Solar Power Station, was commissioned in 2016.

Morocco has a power cable link to Europe, the Spain-Morocco interconnection, rated at 900 MW when going from Spain to Morocco and 600 MW when going from Morocco to Spain. This is the first electric interconnection between Africa and Europe.

Renewable energy transformation An International Energy Agency (IEA) report from July 2023 highlights that in 2020, imported fossil fuels—coal, oil, and gas—accounted for over 80% of Morocco's electricity generation. It outlines that Morocco has developed a plan to transform its energy sector by 2030, aiming to increase the renewable energy share to 52%, with specific targets of 20% for solar power, 20% for wind energy, and 12% for hydroelectric power. This approach seeks to enhance energy security and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. Additionally, under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), Morocco plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 18.3% below its baseline levels by 2030, a reduction that could reach 45.5% with international support. To address the solar power's variability and boost energy system resilience, Morocco has also invested in pumped storage hydropower.

Largest solar power plants Morocco Renewable Energy solar projects to be installed between now and 2030

+NameOutput (MW)LocationTechnologyStatusNotesAin Beni Mathar20Only solar outputAin Bni MatharParabolic troughcompleteAlso runs on fossil fuels (Gas)Noor I160 Drâa-TafilaletParabolic troughcompletePart of Ouarzazate Solar Power StationNoor II200 Drâa-TafilaletParabolic troughcompletePart of Ouarzazate Solar Power StationNoor III150 Drâa-Tafilaletsolar power towercompletePart of Ouarzazate Solar Power StationNoor IV72 Drâa-TafilaletPhotovoltaics with trackingcompletePart of Ouarzazate Solar Power Station

Ouarzazate solar plant

The Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy invited expressions of interest in the design, construction, operation, maintenance and financing of the first of the five planned solar power stations, the 500 MW complex in the southern town of Ouarzazate, that includes both PV and CSP. Construction officially began on 10 May 2013. The project is divided into three phases: a 160MW concentrated solar power project, a 200MW parabolic mirror plant, and a 150MW solar trough plant.Construction begins on 160 MW CSP plant in Morocco, pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/construction-begins-on-160-mw-csp-plant-in-morocco-_100011255/#axzz3OWLu4WTYSaudi’s ACWA Power Wins 1.7bn Euro Morocco Solar Power Deal, Reuters, January 10, 2015

The 160 MW first phase, Noor I, was brought online in February 2016. The project was awarded to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power, which sells the electricity produced for $0.19/kW·h, and co-financed by the World Bank and the European Investment Bank.Saudi-led consortium wins Morocco solar energy bid The second phase, the 200 MW Noor 2 plant, came online in January 2018, and the third phase came online in December 2018. These two phases provide another 580 MW and cover 6,000 acres.

A fourth phase of the project, Noor IV, was also completed in 2018, is a 72 MW photovoltaic station.

Planned +NameOutputLocationTechnologyStatusNotesSebkhate Tah500MWFoum Al-Oued500MWBoujdour 100 MWPlannedNoor Midelt800 MWNoor PV II800MWTaroudant, Kalâat Seraghna, Bejaâd, Guercif, El HajebNoor-Tafilalet120 MWZagora, Erfoud and MissourPlannedNoor Atlas800MWTata, Tahla, Tan Tan, Outat El Haj, Ain Beni Mathar, Boudnib, Bouanane, BoulemanePhotovoltaicsNoor Argana200 MWBoumalne, Tinghir, Errhamna, EssaouiraPhotovoltaics

Solar power in Morocco

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