Morocco receives prequalification entries for 400MW solar scheme

2 Mar 2021
Morocco receives prequalification entries for 400MW solar scheme

The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) has prequalification entries from developers for the planned Noor 2 photovoltaic (PV) solar programme

The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) has received  prequalification entries from developers for the planned Noor 2 photovoltaic (PV) solar programme.

The prequalification deadline had been extended twice since it was originally set for 31 January after Masen had issued the request for qualification (RFQ) to developers in early January.

The Noor 2 project will involve the development of PV solar projects with a combined total capacity of 400MW, which is planned to be distributed across at least four sites in Morocco.

The North African state’s progress with developing clean energy is part of its strategy to reduce its historical reliance on energy imports.

Following the successful launch of its Noor PV programme, in 2017 Rabat set a target for 52 per cent of its energy requirements to come from clean energy sources by 2030. Masen awarded the contract for the country’s first major solar project, the 160MW Noor 1 CSP solar plant, to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power in 2012.

Acwa Power was also successful in the tender for the Noor 2 and Noor 3 CSP projects in 2015. The Saudi developer cemented its dominance in Morocco’s burgeoning solar market in 2017 when it was appointed for the country’s first major PV solar project, the 170MW Noor 1 PV scheme.

The Noor 1 programme consists of three PV solar plants at Ouarzazate, Noor Laayoune and Noor Boujdour. In 2019, Masen awarded a contract to consortium of France’s EDF and UAE-based Masdar to develop the Noor Midelt IPP, Morocco’s first hybrid CSP-PV solar scheme. The Noor Midelt 1 scheme will consist of two-hybrid solar plants, each with a capacity of 400MW.

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