Saudi international energy developer ACWA Power has officially won the bid for the Noor Midelt II and III integrated solar and energy storage project in Morocco. The two projects are each equipped with 400MW photovoltaic and 602MWh energy storage, with a total photovoltaic installed capacity of 800MW and energy storage capacity of 1.2GWh, and a total investment of approximately 3.5 billion US dollars. The project is developed using BOO mode and has signed a 30-year power purchase agreement with the Moroccan Sustainable Energy Agency (MASEN).

The project is located in the Midert Plateau of the Atlas Mountains, with an annual sunshine of more than 3200 hours. It is the core area of the "Desert Solar Belt" that Morocco focuses on developing. The energy storage system adopts lithium iron phosphate battery technology, with a flexible scheduling capability of 2 to 4 hours, which can effectively support grid peak shaving. After being put into operation, it is expected to generate an average annual power of 2.4 TWh and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 24 million tons throughout its lifecycle, accounting for approximately 12% of Morocco's annual emissions.

ACWA Power has formed a consortium financing with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), African Development Bank (AfDB), and Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund PIF. The first batch of $600 million in green loans is expected to be disbursed in the fourth quarter of 2025. The PV modules and energy storage batteries in the project are mainly from Longji and Ningde Times, the leading enterprises in China. It is planned to realize the first grid connection in the second quarter of 2027.

The Noor Midelt project is an important component of Morocco's goal to achieve 3GW of solar energy by 2030. ACWA Power CEO Marco Arcelli stated that the company will invest an additional $5 billion in Morocco over the next five years to expand into the fields of green hydrogen, seawater desalination, and energy storage, consolidating its leading position in the North African clean energy market. This project will not only promote the transformation of Morocco's energy structure, but also provide an important demonstration for the construction of high proportion renewable energy systems in Africa. (This article is from the official website of Jian Dao www.seetao.com. Reproduction without permission is prohibited, otherwise it will be prosecuted. Please indicate Jian Dao website+original link when reprinting.) Jian Dao website new energy column editor/Yang Beihua