Masdar, EDF and Green of Africa consortium win tender for 800MW Morocco solar plant
Noor Midelt Phase 1 is the third project that EDF Renewables and Masdar will work together on
A consortium comprising the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), EDF Renewables and Green of Africa has won a tender for phase one of the Noor Midelt multi-technologies solar power plant in Morocco.
As per the terms of the contract, the consortium will be responsible for the design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of phase one of the 800MW project. The project will be developed 20km north of the town of Midelt in central Morocco.
Construction on the project is expected to begin in Q4 of 2019, while energy will be delivered to the grid in 2022, said a statement from Masdar.
“We are honoured to leverage our global expertise and experience in CSP and PV technologies as part of the consortium chosen to develop the Noor Midelt Phase 1 multi-technologies solar power plant. We applaud Morocco’s bold renewable energy vision and its commitment to the large-scale development of a groundbreaking technology combining solar power with storage, which will achieve new levels of cost and operational efficiency,” said Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi.
The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) says the project is the world’s first advanced hybridisation of concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) technologies. Once complete, it will provide solar energy during the day and until five hours after sunset for what is billed as a ‘record-low tariff’ at peak hours of 0.68 Moroccan dirhams per kilowatt-hour.
“This project marks a key step in the transition of renewable energy from its traditional peak-shaving role in meeting power demand to becoming a baseload electricity provider in the future. Through a shared commitment to commercialising advanced clean technology with our partners, Masdar is helping to bring another world-first in renewable energy to the MENA region,” Al Ramahi added.
EDF Renewables CEO Bruno Bensasson explained that the group was proud to be part of a consortium, which will contribute significantly to Morocco’s objectives to produce 52% of its electricity from renewables by 2030.
“We would like to thank the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy for having designated our consortium as the successful bidder for this innovative project. With our partners, we will develop at Midelt a world first hybrid solar and storage facility. Our solid long-term relationship with Masdar is strengthened by this third large-scale renewable project. This award has been possible thanks to the combined expertise and achievements of the 3 consortium members: Green Of Africa, Masdar and EDF Renewables,” commented Bensasson.
Masdar also announced that in 2018, it helped to equip nearly 20,000 homes with solar panels and household appliances.
