Mohamed Dekkak

The third phase of the Solar Photovoltaic Plan of the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) is on the financing stage.  The Noor-Argana project covers the regions of Boumalen, Errhamna and Essaouira with a capacity of 200 MW instead of 125 MW at a cost of more than 250 million Euros.

Financing of Noor-Argana Solar Photovoltaic project, on course

Consequently, the renewable energy development program for the medium size (10-30 MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) of the agency is now targeting an installed capacity of 500 MW by 2020, opposed to the originally planned 400 MW.  The stated cost of the project doesn’t include costs of study.

The pre-qualification tender for Noor-Argana will be released between late 2016 and early 2017. The commissioning of the project is expected to commence in 2018.  Several international financial institutions have given interest in financing Noor-Argana, including the European Investment Bank and the German bank KfW, which are also concerned in financing the second phase of plan, Noor Atlas.

With a total capacity of 200 MW, Noor Atlas project includes the construction of eight photovoltaic plants with a unit capacity of 10 to 30 MW, which will be installed in the southern region in Tata, Tahla (Bouizakarne) and Tan Tan, while the remaining will be constructed in the eastern region which are Outat El Haj, Ain Beni Mathar, Boudnib, Bouanane and Boulmane (Enjil). This project is expected to be fully operational in 2018. The Atlas project, whose cost is estimated at 300 million Euros, will receive financial support from the German KfW bank  and the European Investment Bank, in addition to the contribution of the European Commission.

The first phase called Noor-Tafilalet projects was offered to provide and meet the country’s supply of electricity and improving the quality of service for the regions. Noor-Tafilalet involves construction of three plants with an average unit capacity of 25 MW for a minimum total capacity of 75 MW expandable to 100 MW in the regions of Erfoud and Zagora Missour.

The pre-qualification for Noor-Tafilalet was announced last July 2015 and the commissioning of the first plant is scheduled on the beginning of 2017.

Mohamed Dekkak