PVTIME – Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy giant, ACWA Power, has won the international tender organised by Morocco’s Sustainable Energy Agency (MASEN) for the NOOR Midelt 2 and NOOR Midelt 3 solar projects. These projects have a combined installed capacity of 800MWp. This notable integrated solar-storage project will feature a 602MWh battery energy storage system, making Morocco the first African country to adopt large-scale, commercial ‘photovoltaic + energy storage’ technology. This could serve as a model for energy transitions in emerging markets across North Africa and beyond.
Under the agreement, ACWA Power will develop the two power stations using a ‘build-own-operate’ (BOO) model. Each project will consist of 400MWp of photovoltaic modules and a 230MW/2-hour energy storage system. This design enables the stations to store surplus electricity during the day and supply power continuously during peak hours or at night, thus overcoming the intermittent nature of solar energy. Once operational, MASEN estimates that the projects will increase the flexibility of Morocco’s power grid by 30% and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.2 million tonnes per year, equivalent to the environmental benefit of planting 66 million trees.
Morocco’s ambitions extend beyond domestic transition. As planned, the NOOR Midelt projects will connect with existing concentrated solar power plants to form a 24-hour power supply network featuring ‘solar PV by day and concentrated solar power by night’. In the future, green electricity will be exported to Europe via a Mediterranean interconnection project. The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that by 2030, North Africa’s solar energy export potential could reach 500 terawatt-hours per year, meeting 15% of the EU’s electricity needs.
Mohammed Abunayyan (Paddy Padmanathan), CEO of ACWA Power, has revealed that the company is in discussions with Tunisia and Algeria regarding similar projects, with plans to increase North Africa’s installed capacity by 3GW. He highlighted that the region’s abundant sunlight and land, coupled with stable policies, are reshaping the global clean energy landscape.
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