Sterling and Wilson, a global solar EPC company, in association with a consortium led ACWA Power, has signed a contract to construct a 170 MW photovoltaic (PV) facility in Morocco.
The project is the first solar PV phase of the NOOR Solar Plan, which has already seen three major Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) projects in Ouarzazate.
The NOOR PV I Program will consist of three projects: NOOR Ouarzazate IV, with a capacity of around 70MW, NOOR Laayoune, 80 MW and NOOR Boujdour, 20 MW.
Morocco is targeting 52 percent of its energy generation from renewable sources by 2030. It’s the only country in North Africa without significant fossil fuel reserves and imports over 90 percent of its energy.
The electricity produced by the plants using Photovoltaic technology will power thousands of homes and reduce carbon emissions by thousands of tons of CO2 equivalent emissions every year of its operation, the company said.
Upon completion, the project will become one of the largest Solar PV plants in North Africa, and will contribute to the local development of the community by ensuring maximum engagement of local resources on these projects.
Bikesh Ogra, president –Renewable and Electrical, said, “Morocco has been one of our most important target markets and these projects would hopefully enable us to consolidate our positioning for all forthcoming opportunities in the country and the region as a whole.”
“We will work earnestly towards embracing socially and economically inclusive equitable work methods, skills development and employment for the local community in order to achieve best standards in performance, and a belief in contributing to a reliable and sustainable energy supply,” Ogra added.
Rajani Baburajan