Out of service since early 2024, following a breakdown of the molten salt tank, the Noor Ouarzazate III solar power plant, with a gross capacity of 150 MW, will not be able to be restarted before the end of March 2025. As a result, the estimated financial losses of $47 million initially have been revised upwards, reaching over $51 million.
Since 2009, Morocco has been betting on the development of renewable energies. But for a few years now, the momentum seems to be running out of steam when it comes to solar energy. The culprit is the technology adopted to produce energy at the Noor Ouarzazate III solar power plant.
The Noor III plant, located in the Ouarzazate region, is shut down due to a "major technical failure", which has resulted in a loss of $47 million in revenue for Acwa Power, the Saudi renewable energy company that operates it.
Morocco aims to produce 52% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030 to export a large part of it to Europe through submarine cables. Will it prioritize exports over meeting domestic demand?
The world’s largest solar power tower, Noor, is located in Morocco and is propelling the Kingdom towards the future of renewable energy, according to the French monthly magazine "Sciences et Avenir".
76% of electricity exchanges between the two countries are provided by the Kingdom. According to data from the semi-public Spanish operator, Red electrica de España, Morocco has become Spain’s main supplier of electricity.