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Rabat – International renewable energy company Voltalia will build two solar plants, with a total capacity of 117 megawatts in Morocco’s Oriental region.
Voltalia secured the contract with Morocco as part of a call for tender to allocate a program to build solar plants on seven sites, the company said in a press release.
The Moroccan Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, and the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN) launched the tenders for the program covering seven sites eligible for the development of photovoltaic projects.
According to Voltalia, the program seeks to boost the development of private solar projects as part of Morocco’s renewable energy aspirations.
“Voltalia was awarded the largest volume with 117 megawatts out of a total of 400 megawatts offered, spread over two sites, Ain Beni Mathat (69 megawatts) and Guercif (48 megawatts),” the company said.
It added that the two solar hubs will be able to cover the energy needs to be estimated to have an annual consumption of 290,0000 inhabitants.
The company is scheduling construction for the end of 2023, and “revenues will be guaranteed by long-term electricity sales contracts, to be concluded with private customers connected to the public electricity grid,” the company said.
Voltalia expressed satisfaction with securing the project, suggesting it would use this major contract to consolidate its presence in Morocco.
“We are very pleased to have won these sites in Morocco. These future photovoltaic power plants will contribute to the decarbonization of energy by avoiding the emission of approximately 200,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere,” CEO of Voltalia Sebastien Clerc said.
Voltalia’s Moroccan team has been operating in the North African country since 2015, with the aim of supporting Morocco’s energy transition.
The Moroccan government has been intensifying efforts and investments to boost the country’s energy sector.
In December 2021, Minister of Energy Transition Leila Benali announced that the North African country has over 60 renewable energy projects under development or being produced in partnership with foreign collaborators.
Morocco aims to produce 52% of electricity from renewable energy by 2030, and the government said last year that the installed capacity of renewable energy sources in morocco stood at 3,950 megawatts.
The number represents around 37% of the total installed electric power or 20% of Morocco’s electric demand.
