Wind Energy

Solar development in Morocco

By the end of the month, Morocco will assess bids for the construction of its first solar power plant at Ouarzazate, in the South of the country.

This 500 MW Concentrating Solar Power is the first step towards the implementation of the State programme for the development of solar energy.

The latter was officially announced by the Moroccan government, which also revealed its target to install five solar systems by 2020, which would generate 38% of the overall installed capacity of the country (about 5,500 MW in 2008).

The goal is therefore to achieve 2,000 MW of solar power, the deployment of which will require an estimated investment of 9 billion euros.

Morocco – the only North African country that cannot count on huge resources of oil and gas – aims at developing renewable energy sources also in the hope of playing a relevant role in supporting European programmes in this sector.

The latter regards in particular the programme that European industries have planned to develop in North African deserts for the construction of large solar plants which, with an investment of about 400 billion, would allow the EU to meet 15% of its electricity demand.

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