FIRST BIG MOROCCO SOLAR NEAR POWERING UP

First plant in Morocco solar mega-project to open in 2015

October 19, 2014 (AFP)

“...[P] art of a multi-billion-euro project the oil-scarce kingdom [of Morocco] hopes will satisfy its growing energy needs…[the Nour 1 Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) piece of the Ouarzazate Solar Complex, the biggest solar complex in Africa, will be operational in 2015]…The North African country is aiming to [get 42 percent of its total power by 2020] and is eyeing the chance to export clean electricity to nearby Europe…Morocco expects to build five new solar plants by the end of the decade with a combined production capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW) and at an estimated cost of seven billion euros ($9 billion)…The Nour 1 plant cost 600 million euros and is expected to have a capacity to generate 160 MW…A consortium led by Saudi developer ACWA Power won the contract to build the plant…The World Bank, the African Development Bank and the European Investment Bank are helping to finance…[Winners of contracts for Nour 2 and 3 will be announced by the end of 2014, with construction to] begin at the start of next year…[An announcement about a] third and final construction phase at Ouarzazate will be announced [soon]…” click here for more

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