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New Delhi – A significant development took place this week in Morocco when King Mohammed VI inaugurated the first phase of the Noor Ouarzazate concentrated solar power complex – the largest in the world – and launched construction works for Noor II and Noor III. When completed the multi-technology Noor Ouarzazate complex spread over 3,000 hectares will have an overall installed capacity of 580 MW. This will significantly reduce Morocco’s dependence on energy imports and provide electricity to 1.1 million Moroccans by 2018. Additionally it will lower Morocco’s carbon emissions by 760,000 tonnes each year.
The inaugurated Noor I plant has a generating capacity of 160 MW and can operate at full capacity for three hours without sunlight owing to its energy storage capabilities. Subsequently, 200 MW Noor II will have energy storage capacity of seven hours, while 150 MW Noor III will run without sunlight for seven to eight hours. All of this marks the tremendous progress Morocco is making in the field of solar energy pursuant to its ambitious Moroccan Solar Plan.
In fact, Morocco has committed to have 42% of installed electricity production from renewable sources by 2020, of which solar power will account for 14%. Its aim is to generate 2000 MW of solar energy capacity in the next four years. Why is this important? It’s because Morocco is one of the few African nations to have in place a comprehensive strategy to tackle the issues of climate change, economic deprivation and rising extremism in that part of the world. King Mohammed VI has consistently called for a new development paradigm for Africa that seeks to mobilise African solutions for African problems.
Towards this end he has asserted that Africa doesn’t need handouts from international donors but mutually profitable partnerships. Hence, the Noor Ouarzazate solar complex is a concrete manifestation of the King’s vision as it has been financed by the African Development Bank, Climate Investment Funds, the World Bank and European financing institutions. And given the scale of the project, it will generate a significant number of Moroccan jobs in the years to come. And jobs are what Africans need to insulate themselves from the predatory tactics of terrorist groups that have refocussed their sights on African countries for recruitment to their jihadi cause.
Plus, the climate change mitigation aspect of Morocco’s solar plan goes beyond environmental aims. The reason I say this is because there is some evident to suggest that climate change may have been one of the factors that contributed to Syria’s ongoing civil war. A multi-year drought from 2006 to 2011 saw mass migration of people from Syria’s rural areas to urban centres that may have added to latent social tensions. In this respect climate change mitigation efforts have also become security imperatives needed to stabilise societies and economies – and thereby deny extremist groups the opportunity to prey on social grievances.
Given that the Noor Ouarzazate project is located at the gateway to the Moroccan Sahara, the long-term benefits accruing from it will help enhance Morocco’s security. For the artificial Moroccan Sahara dispute – kept alive by the Algeria-backed Sahrawi separatist Polisario Front – is a major security concern for Morocco. Hence, the Noor Ouarzazate project will help develop the Moroccan Sahara and keep extremists at bay.
Taken together, Morocco has made great strides towards fulfilling its commitment to protecting the environment, boosting domestic growth and developing the Moroccan Sahara. Here’s wishing that the Noor Ouarzazate project becomes a shining example of African self-sufficiency and progress.
This article was first published on Times of India
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Morocco World News’ editorial policy
