Masdar, the Abu Dhabi renewable energy company, has completed the installation of 9,000 solar home systems across 940 villages in rural Morocco, crossing the halfway stage in the project, the company has announced.
A total of 17,670 systems are expected to be installed as part of a scheme that will provide electricity to the hinterlands of the North African kingdom. The announcement comes only a year after a partnership agreement was signed between Masdar and Morocco’s Office National de l’Electricité et de l‘Eau Potable (ONEE).
“The UAE and Masdar are pleased that our partnership with ONEE is realising one of the largest and most innovative solar home installation projects, which is having a transformative impact on hard-to-reach communities throughout the country,” said Mohammad Jameel Al Ramahi, chief executive officer of Masdar.
The project is expected to be completed by the second half of 2016. All of the 290-watt solar home systems have been designed and installed by the Masdar Special Projects team. In conjunction with other local initiatives, the full installation will result in 99% of the rural countryside having energy access by 2017, a Gulf News report said.
Each of the installed systems consists of 290-watt solar panels and batteries with sufficient storage capacity for three days, which ensures an uninterrupted power supply to residences. In addition, the installations will include energy-efficient appliances like LED lamps and a 165 litre refrigerator.
The Moroccan government has committed to ensuring that 42% of the nation’s energy is from renewable sources by 2020, making the country one of the most promising markets for the technology in the Middle East and North Africa.
Owned by the Mubadala Group, Masdar has committed more than $1.7 billion into renewable energy development and research. That investment has helped to deliver nearly 1GW of clean power in the UAE and across the globe.