One of the world’s largest concentrated solar power (CSP) systems in “Oasis du Sud Marocain” biosphere reserve.
The Ouarzazate Solar Power Station Project It is part of the Moroccan Solar Plan designed under Morocco’s energy strategy and, on a larger scale, it forms part of the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Investment Plan of the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA). This investment plan was prepared with countries of the region under the aegis of the ADB and the World Bank. It will enable participating countries to contribute their solar resources to the global effort to combat the effects of climate change, while significant increasing the world’s installed CSP capacity.
Implementing this project is a major step towards attaining Morocco’s clearly stated ambition to master large-scale solar energy production so as to help curb green house gas emissions and create a local industry capable of providing locally manufactured inputs to the solar energy programme. Morocco’s solar energy programme is expected to create jobs locally. Eventually, it will enable Morocco to sell green energy to Europe at profitable rates and earn foreign exchange. This will have a positive effect on its trade balance.
The World Bank and Clean Technology Fund (CTF) are supporting Morocco’s solar plans with loans for $200 million and $97 million, respectively, to finance Phase I of the Ouarzazate Power Plant through a public private partnership.
When complete, the full Ouarzazate complex will be one of the largest concentrated solar power (CSP) systems in the world with a capacity of 500MW. The first plant, Ouarzazate I with 160MW capacity, will be commissioned in 2014. The power station design provides for a facility that will store heat for 3 hours to enhance the station’s performance, and for the injection of its output into the country’s energy mix.
The lessons learned at Ouarzazate are expected to have a demonstration effect for other countries in the region that are considering CSP.
The Ouarzazate site, with a surface of about 33 square kilometers, i.e. 3,300 hectares, is located at 7 kilometers (4.38 miles) to the North-East of Ouarzazate, on road P32.
Project information sheet: OURZAZATE SOLAR POWER STATION – PHASE I
Presentation: African Development Bank |Ouarzazate Solar Complex Phase I | PDF
MASEN - Ouarzazate site
