Morocco concentrated solar power (CSP) project gets 654 mln euro German loan

Morocco has secured a 654 million euro loan from German state-owned bank KFW to part-finance two concentrating solar power (CSP) plants totalling 300 megawatts worth an estimated 1.7 billion euros.

Tenders for construction of the two solar thermal plants, one of 200 megawatts (MW) and the other of 100 MW, near the southern city of Ouarzazate are expected in the next weeks, Mustapha Bakoury, the head of Morocco’s solar energy agency Masen, said on Wednesday at the Desertec industrial initiative (Dii) Conference held outside Rabat.

Masen said consortia led by Spain’s Abengoa, GDF’s International Power and ACWA Power had been pre-selected for the 200 MW (Noor II) concentrated solar power tender.

The three groups are also pre-qualified for the 100 MW (Noor III) tender, along with another consortium led by France’s EDF. KFW confirmed that it will make the loans.

“We will lend 330 million euros for Noor II, and 324 million euros for Noor III, and we evaluate the first CSP