Construction of Morocco’s Noor Midelt Phase 1 multi-technologies solar power plant is set to begin in earnest after Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) announced the winner of the tender.
A consortium led by French EDF Renewables won a tender launched by the Moroccan agency for sustainable energy (Masen) to build an 800 megawatt solar plant in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains.
The consortium to build the 7.57 billion dirham ($781.5 million) plant also includes UAE’s Masdar and Morocco’s Green Energy of Africa, Masen said in a statement.
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Phase 1, located 20km north of Midelt in central Morocco, is expected to see construction commencement by the end of 2019, with delivery of the first electricity to the grid expected from 2022.
Upon completion, it will provide dispatchable energy during the day and until five hours after sunset for a tariff of $0.070 per kilowatt hour at peak hours.
Noor Midelt Phase 1 is the third collaboration between EDF Renewables and Masdar, which are also partners in the recently announced 400 MW Saudi Arabian Dumat Al Jandal wind farm project.
“Masdar is honored to leverage its global expertise and experience in CSP and PV tech as part of the consortium,” said Masdar’s chief executive officer, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi.
“Our company remains committed to Morocco’s long-term energy goals, and we expect this project to further raise the profile of renewables as a provider of reliable and cost-effect clean power in the Mena region.”