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Thanks to the support of the European Union and other international partners, Morocco is embarking on its path towards energy independence and sustainable development.
Ouarzazate is a city located in the heart of Morocco`s desert. It is well known for filming numerous films and TV series here, including Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy, and Game of Thrones.
Aside from these curious facts, the city has now become the home of the largest concentrated solar power plant in the world.
The total installed capacity of the Noor Ouarzazate solar complex reaches 580 MW.
That's enough to supply a million Moroccan homes with cheap, renewable electricity. This is the equivalent of one city like Prague or two cities like Marrakech. By comparison, the installed capacity of a typical nuclear reactor is usually around 1000 MW.
Renewable energy sector in Morocco is growing rapidly.
Renewable power generation capacity is expected to increase by 10 GW over the period 2016-2030 with an investment of MAD 280 billion from Masen and private companies.
Noor Ouarzazate - world's largest concentrated solar power plant: structure and principle of operation
Concentrated solar power is a promising technology.The International Energy Agency predicts that by 2050, 11% of electricity generation will come from CSP.
The potential for solar energy in North Africa is enormous. It is a region with abundant resources that meet the growing global demand.
In Arabic, the word "noor" means "light", and therefore each stage of the power plant is called Noor (Noor I — Noor IV).
Located on an area of 3,000 hectares (equivalent to 3,500 football fields), the solar complex consists of four separate solar power plants using various technologies:
• Noor Ouarzazate I and II: cylindrical parabolic mirrors.
• Noor Ouarzazate III: concentrated solar power tower.
• Noor Ouarzazate IV: hybrid photovoltaic plant.
The location near Ouarzazate was chosen because the annual solar radiation intensity here is 2,635 kWh / m².
This is one of the highest rates in the world.
The sun shines here almost 365 days a year.
All systems are equipped with energy storage devices so that the power plant can operate during peak hours (18:00-19:00). The storage systems operate with a eutectic salt mixture of 60% sodium nitrate and 40% potassium nitrate. The complex requires about 140,000 tons of salt mixture.
The project is quite expensive to maintain.
The power plant consumes up to 3 million cubic meters of water per year. The system also needs up to 19 tons of diesel fuel per day to keep the salt mixture above 110 ° C and the synthetic oil used as heat transfer fluid above 8 ° C.
The Noor Ouarzazate solar power station will house a 16-hectare theme tourism park, auditoriums, a media library and a tower offering breathtaking panoramic views.
The first phase of the complex, Noor Ouarzazate I, was inaugurated by King Mohammed VI of Morocco back in 2016.
The unique project is being implemented by a consortium that includes Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy, ACWA Power and Aries.
The complex should be operated by NOMAC, a well-known international O&M company.
The objectives of the construction of the Ouarzazate solar power station are as follows:
• Reducing Morocco's energy dependence.
• Reducing the negative impact of imported fossil fuels on the budget and the trade balance.
• Increasing electricity production through the efficient use of sunlight as a natural resource.
• Promote the creation of a national solar energy industry in Morocco.
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the long term.
• Development of remote desert areas.
The construction of the Ouarzazate solar power station in Morocco is a strategic goal as the cost of fossil fuels is too high for the budget.
At the start of construction, the country was generating up to 95% of its electricity from imported fossil fuels.
This makes the Kingdom highly vulnerable to fuel price volatility. The new power plant makes a difference. Noor Ouarzazate annually produces carbon-free energy equivalent to 2.5 million tons of imported oil, while creating the potential for green energy exports to neighboring countries.
It is clear that in the coming years Noor Ouarzazate will reduce Morocco's energy dependence, having a positive impact on the local economy.
This high value-added project contributes to the socio-economic and cultural development of the region, the expansion of neighboring settlements and the emergence of new tourism products.
Noor Ouarzazate I CSP plant
The first stage of the solar power plant includes 480 hectares of SENERtrough cylindrical parabolic mirrors developed by Sener.The total installed capacity of the power plant is 160 MW. The facility provides storage of electrical energy for 3 hours.
Noor Ouarzazate I CSP plant uses a water cooling system. The water needed to run the power plant comes from the Mansour Eddabhi reservoir, located 12 km from the construction site. Process water is stored in tanks with a total capacity of 300,000 cubic meters.
Masen's solar project, which has a value of over MAD 7 billion, was built by the ACWA Power Ouarzazate consortium under an EPC contract.
Construction work began on May 10, 2013, following a ceremony presided over by King Mohammed VI of Morocco.
The Noor Ouarzazate I project was funded by several sources, including the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), the German state bank Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KFW), the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the European Investment Bank and NIF.
A tariff agreement signed by investors on November 19, 2012 with ONEE (Office National De L'electricite Et De L'eau Potable) guarantees an energy price of MAD 1.62 per kWh. The generated electricity is transmitted to the 225/60 kV Ouarzazate substation located near the complex.
General features of the Noor I project:
| Installed capacity | 160 MW |
| Annual electricity production | 618 GWh |
| Applied technology | Solar concentrators with heat storage system capacity more than 3 hours |
| CO₂ emissions reduction | 280,000 tons |
| Project cost | MAD 7000 million |
According to the African Development Bank, the Noor I CSP plant prevents 280,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year.
This equates to 6 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions that would be avoided in 25 years of operation, the pan-African organization said. After the commissioning of Noor II and Noor III, it will be possible to avoid the emission of 18-19 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere within 25 years.
During the construction phase of Noor Ouarzazate I, more than 2,000 jobs were created (85% were Moroccans), and an additional 60 employees are now involved in operation and maintenance.
The construction of the facility was completed within 30 months.
Half a million mirrors 12 meters high are arranged in 800 rows.
The system is based on SENERtrough collectors, which concentrate the sun's rays in a central tube filled with a heat transfer fluid. The effective reflective area of the collectors is 1,308,000 m². The liquid heated to 393ºC is fed through pipelines to the steam generator, where the process water is converted into high-temperature steam.
The high pressure steam drives a multi-megawatt turbine connected to a generator that produces electricity. After the turbine, the steam enters the condenser, where it is condensed back into water. The cooling tower is used to cool the waste steam.
One of the most important elements of the CSP plant is the heat exchanger, where the heat transfer fluid contacts the salt, transferring heat to it.
The heat storage system uses a salt solution to reheat the HTF when solar radiation is insufficient (evening and night hours).
Noor Ouarzazate II CSP plant
Noor Ouarzazate II is the second phase of the Ouarzazate solar power station in Morocco, covering an area of 610 hectares.Its installed capacity reaches 200 MW.
It uses CSP technology with parabolic mirrors and water-free air cooling.
The system saves electricity for 7-8.
The facility was put into operation in January 2018. The total cost of the project is estimated at over MAD 9 billion. Investors in Noor Ouarzazate II included KFW, the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and the African Development Bank.
General features of the Noor II project:
| Installed capacity | 200 MW |
| Annual electricity production | 600 GWh |
| Applied technology | Solar concentrators with heat storage system capacity more than 7 hours |
| CO₂ emissions reduction | 300,000 tons |
| Project cost | MAD 9218 million |
In accordance with the tariff agreement, the electricity price was MAD 1.36 per kWh.
Noor II uses SENERtrough-2 solar collectors from Sener. Collectors with a total effective area of 1,800,000 m² concentrate the sun's rays in tubes filled with HTF, which is heated to a temperature of several hundred degrees Celsius.
The heating medium is fed to the steam generator, where it transfers heat to convert the water into hot steam. This steam drives a turbine connected to the generator to produce electrical energy. The waste steam then enters an air-cooled condenser where it is converted to water and reused.
A distinctive feature of the Noor Ouarzazate II is the use of an air-cooled condenser, which reduces water consumption by about 80%.
This is extremely important in desert conditions.
The excess heat energy is stored for further use. Part of the HTF enters the heat exchanger, where it transfers its heat to a special salt solution. The heat storage system ensures stable energy production after sunset.
Noor Ouarzazate III CSP plant
Noor Ouarzazate III is the first solar tower power plant in Morocco with air cooling.The facility covers an area of 582 hectares and has an installed capacity of 150 MW. It was commissioned in August 2018.
Investors in Noor Ouarzazate III are the Clean Technology Fund, KFW, African Development Bank (AfDB), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), World Bank and European Investment Bank. The project cost is estimated at over 7 million dirhams.
General features of the Noor III project:
| Installed capacity | 150 MW |
| Annual electricity production | 500 GWh |
| Applied technology | Solar tower with 7-hour heat storage |
| CO₂ emissions reduction | 222,000 tons |
| Project cost | MAD 7180 million |
The price of the generated energy is MAD 1.42 per kWh.
A new record has been set at the site of this concentrated solar power plant.
Between numerous solar panels rises a 243 meter high tower, the tallest in Africa.
The operating principle of Noor III CSP plant differs from the first two phases of the project.
The system uses 7,400 Sener HE54 heliostats, each with an effective area of 178.5 m² and equipped with a highly accurate hydraulically driven sun tracking system.
The giant mirrors are oriented towards the receiver in the tower. Here the water turns into steam, which drives the turbine. The liquid temperature reaches 565 ° C versus 390 ° C for conventional systems. The unique technology guarantees the supply of electricity up to 7 hours after sunset.
During 10 days of testing, Noor Ouarzazate III demonstrated stable performance in changing weather conditions, including after sunset.
An interesting fact: in these 10 days alone, the power plant exported 13.2 GWh of energy to the grid.
Once commissioned, it generates enough green energy to power 120,000 homes.
Noor Ouarzazate IV PV power plant
Noor Ouarzazate IV is the last power plant commissioned in June 2018.It is part of the new national program Noor PV I.
The facility covers an area of 137 hectares and has an installed capacity of 72 MW.
It also pioneered hybrid photovoltaic technology. The construction of the Noor Ouarzazate IV PV power plant was funded by KFW Bankengruppe. Its cost exceeds MAD 770 million.
General features of the Noor IV project:
| Installed capacity | 70 MW |
| Annual electricity production | 120 GWh |
| Applied technology | Photovoltaic solar cells with tracking system |
| CO₂ emissions reduction | 86 540 tons |
| Project cost | 775 million dirhams |
The price of the generated electricity is MAD 0.46 per kWh.
The previous three projects, combined with the final phase of photovoltaic systems, have made Noor Ouarzazate the largest multi-technology solar energy production site in the world with a capacity of 580 MW and a total investment of over MAD 24 billion.
This amount does not include the infrastructure built by Masen and ONEE.
This infrastructure serves the needs of the SPP for transport, process water supply, communications and security.
New solar thermal energy storage system installed in Noor Ouarzazate
In March 2020, a thermal energy storage system was installed at Noor Ouarzazate.This system was created as part of a joint research and development project between Masen and the Swedish company Azelio, which provides innovative solutions in this area.
The partnership between Masen and Azelio, signed in 2018, promotes innovative technologies that are applicable to projects of all sizes, including rural electrification projects in Africa. Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy is actively using energy storage technologies on completed projects Noor I, II and III, whose technical parameters are considered the best in the world.
More than 600 million Africans currently live without access to electricity. Lack of adequate infrastructure is holding back Africa's economic development. Electricity shortages cost 2-3% of the continent's gross domestic product.
This situation requires huge investments and new solutions.
Swedish Ambassador to Morocco Niklas Kebbon noted that Masen and Azelio have developed a versatile renewable energy storage solution that works well for agricultural and mining businesses in remote areas where power grids are weak or lacking.
This is an example of cooperation between Morocco and Sweden, which are at the top of the ranking of countries close to achieving climate change goals.
Мost modern solar power plant in Morocco: Noor Midelt I
It will be the most advanced project in the world, with an investment of over 700 million euros.It is a Noor Midelt hybrid solar power plant that uses photovoltaic energy (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP).
The client is Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy.
According to Masen representatives, the agency's experts are satisfied with the result of the tender and fully trust the ability of the winning consortium to implement the project. Noor Midelt I is a revolutionary project capable of transforming the renewable energy sector in the coming years.
The project will add 800 MW of installed capacity with a minimum of 5 hours of energy storage capacity. The solar power plant is located 20 km from the city of Midelt in the center of the Kingdom.
The implementation of the project began in the third quarter of 2019, and the commissioning of the power plant is scheduled for 2022.
If you are interested in the construction of solar power plants in Morocco or another country under an EPC contract, contact us at any time.
