Morocco Launches Initial Call for Bids to Build Solar Power Plant in the Atlas Mountains

The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) has launched an initial call for bids to select qualified companies to build a solar power plant in the Atlas Mountains. Masen has requested developers to submit pre-qualification documents by October 20 to finance, construct, and operate the Noor Midelt 3 station, which has a capacity of 400 megawatts and uses photovoltaic technology. The first phase of this project has not yet been completed despite four years having passed, and sources indicate that disagreements over concentrated solar power technology are among the reasons for this delay. Last month, Masen announced that six company alliances qualified to compete for the construction of a solar power plant with a capacity of 400 megawatts in the Atlas Mountains, named Noor Midelt 2, which features a storage capacity lasting two hours. In 2022, renewable energy sources accounted for 18 percent of the total electricity production in the country, while coal made up the remaining percentage. Currently, renewable energy represents 40 percent of the actual capacity in the country, with Morocco planning to increase this percentage to 52 percent by 2030.