Morocco launches phase one of Solar Energy Mega Project Nor II

The government of Morocco together with Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (Masen) has launched phase one of the mega project Nor II solar energy plant.

Nor II is a multi-site solar energy project with a total capacity set at 400 megawatts (MN).Masen and Morocco’s energy transition minister had opened a tender for private companies interested in joining the program in September 2021.

The Moroccan agency for solar power announced that 13 of the 14 projects are already awarded to private companies. The 13 projects are stretching over seven sites with a joint capacity of 333 MW. Taqa Maroc, a Moroccan electricity producer, was awarded the first five lots at Sidi Bennour; the lots are located in Casablanca and Kelaa Sraghna in central Morocco, while the projects have a target of 48 MW capacity each.

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Energy transition

Italian renewable energy company, Enel Green Power Morocco, took lots n° 6, 7, 8, and 9 at a site in Bejaad, located in the Khouribga province. The Bejaad lots also have a target capacity of 48 MW. Amea Power, an Africa and Middle East-focused renewable energy company, won lots n° 10 and 11, located in Taroudant, southeastern Morocco, and El Hajeb, in Morocco’s Fes-Meknes region. The two lots have a production capacity of 36 MW each.

French energy company Voltalia Maroc claimed the last two lots located in Guercif, in Morocco’s Gharb region, and Ain Beni Mathar in Jerrada province. The two projects have a production capacity of 48 MW and 69 MW respectively. Masen chose the seven sites based on suitability for solar PV technology, topography, and the socio-economic impact they will bring to the region.