There is a major competition among three major solar developers that are seeking to scoop three major solar PV construction projects in Morocco with a cumulative capacity of 170MW in Morocco.
The three companies that are expected to be considered are based in Saudi Arabia and they include ACWA Power, Fotowatio, and Alfanar who placed the lowest bids and are likely to scoop the tenders.
According to Climate Action the projects are the first to be based on PV technology in the Noor-Ouarzazate solar complex, with auctions and construction so far only covering concentrated solar thermal projects.
They explained that phase 1 of the solar complex includes Noor I, which comprises a 160MW parabolic trough project, which is in the advanced stages of construction.
“Phase 2 combines two projects: Noor II and Noor III, with generation capacities of 200MW and 150MW respectively.
“Noor II will be based on parabolic technology, with Noor III using power tower technology.
“Noor I, which is now operational, was developed by ACWA Power, in partnership with Aries and TSK and operates at a tariff of US¢18.9/kWh,” Climate Action explained.
With a completion date set for 2017, the Noor II and Noor III developments, have tariffs of US¢14/kWh and US¢15/kWh, respectively.
“The final capacity of the Noor-Ouarzazate solar complex is expected to reach 2GW, or 14% of Morocco’s total capacity, and the project is expected to achieve full capacity by 2020,” Climate Action stated.