The Noor concentrated solar power (CSP) complex at Ouarzazate, will be completed before the summer of 2018, Mustapha Bakkoury, head at Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) told a press conference on Friday.
The EUR-810-million (USD 1bn) second phase of the thermosolar cylindrical parabolic troughs complex Noor Ouarzazate will be commissioned by March or May 2018 at the latest, he added. Noor III and IV will follow by the end of June.
Bakkoury noted that by the end of the current year Morocco will have 887 MW of solar power capacity in operation, 1,207 MW of wind power and north of 1,700 MW of hydro power plants.
In comparison, the kingdom closed 2017 with a total of 180 MW of solar power plants in operation, 887 MW of wind and 1,700 MW of hydro power in installed capacity.
Besides the launch of the phases II, III and IV at Noor Ouarzazate, this year Masen is also expected to complete the technical and financial evaluations of the offers for the Noor Midelt, Noor Tafilalet and Noor PV 2 projects.
renewablesnow.com