Morocco turns on what will become the world’s largest solar power plant

This project is the first phase of a mega project expected to generate 580 megawatts by 2020, and provide electricity to over a million homes.

With an electricity production capacity of 160 megawatts, Noor 1 can cut up carbon dioxide emissions by 240,000 tonnes per year, according to estimates from the energy ministry.

Inaugurated officially on Thursday, February 4, 2016 by His Majesty Mohammed VI of Morocco, the solar plant underlines the country’s determination to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, use more renewable energy, and move towards low carbon development.

When Noor 2 and Noor 3 go online in 2017, the Ouarzazate solar power station will be the world’s largest solar array.

The Noor project, which was developed by Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power and Spanish firms Sener SA and Acciona SA, is estimated to have a total capacity of 2GW by 2020 once all four units have reached completion.

Morocco has scarce oil and gas reserves, and is the biggest importer of energy in the Middle East and North Africa.

It now looks like Morocco will put that natural resource to good use by building the world’s largest solar plant near a town called Ouarzazate on the desert’s outskirts. It’s all part of Morocco’s plan to get up to 42 percent of its power from renewable energies at home, such as solar, wind, and hydropower. The Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy, a government agency focused on securing the country’s solar ambitions, garnered the $3bn needed from the African Development Bank, the Climate Investment Funds, European financing institutions and the World Bank.

The project is financed by a group of development banks, including the French Development Agency, the European Investment Bank and Germany’s KfW, which each contributed 100 million euros.

A consortium led by NOMAC, a subsidiary of ACWA Power, and Masen will operate and maintain the complex. This fluid is used to heat up a nearby source of water, which turns to steam and spins turbines to create energy.

“The real test will be in the operation over the next five to 25 years”, said Jenny Chase, head of solar analysis at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, noting that solar thermal is more technologically risky than photovoltaic panels.