Morocco: Work begins on Noor 1 solar complex

Work on one of Morocco’s five giant solar power complexes got under way on 10 May as Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power launched construction of the 160MW first phase of a possible 500MW complex in Ouarzazate. The Noor 1 concentrated solar power (CSP) facility is being developed as the first project for the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (Masen) and reaffirms the dominance of Gulf-owned companies in North Africa. Noor 1 will incorporate three hours of thermal storage and will be the world’s largest parabolic trough CSP power plant, according to Acwa. Prequalification for the 300MW second phase, divided into a 100MW CSP tower and 200MW parabolic trough project, began in January.