Both Bosch and Siemens pulled out as well, further fanning skepticism. But All Africa reports that despite setbacks, solar energy is safe in Morocco, where the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (Masen) has secured $380 million for a 160MW CSP plant planned for the same region set aside for the Ourzazate plant.  

With few fossil fuel reserves to call their own, Morocco has long demonstrated its commitment to generating renewable energy.

In 2009 the government unveiled a plan to spend $9 billion on a total of 2 GW of solar energy by 2020, in addition to wind and biofuel projects.

Then in June, 2011, the Desertec Industrial Initiative (Dii) signed a cooperation agreement with Masen to start working on projects that would allow Europe to benefit from Morocco’s solar. This agreement would have allowed Morocco to lean on Dii’s networking prowess for help with its own plans.

Given this history, it’s not so surprising that the media panicked when the Desertec initiative took a tumble, but it was premature to underestimate Morocco’s ability to sidestep obstacles in order to meet the country’s rising energy demand.

With backing from the European Investment Bank, the French Development Agency and Germany’s KfW added to existing support from the World Bank, European Union and the African Development bank, Masen has secured an initial $380 million that will allow the agency to honor its recent contact with Saudi’s ACWA Power to oversee a 160MW CSP plant in southern Morocco.

This falls short of the 1.04 billion euro necessary to reach completion, but it’s a start and it shows that Morocco is unwavering in its commitment to transform the country into a power producer.

With domestic energy demand on the rise and fossil fuel due to reach its peak, and global greenhouse gas emissions dangerously high, we really can’t imagine a saner alternative.

:: All Africa

Image of desert flower in Morocco, Shutterstock

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Morocco’s Solar Energy Agency has announced that the Saudi-led consortium ACWA has won the bid to build a 160MW concentrated solar power plant in Ourzazate. Although MASEN head Mustafa Bakkoury only made the official announcement at a recent conference, news of the win has been floating around for a couple of months.

Teaming up with Spanish firms Aries IS and TSKEE, the Saudi International Company for Water and Power will be responsible for the design, finance, construction, operation and maintenance of the plant. This consortium beat out two others with a more competitive price, and construction is expected to begin by the end of this year.

Although ACWA will sell their energy for roughly $0.19 per kilowatt hour, which is about four cents cheaper than either of the other competing consortiums  proposed, according to Arabian Business, this price is considerably higher than the price of conventional energy.

However, the Moroccan government has vowed to subsidize the costs of solar energy production to ensure that state utilities are able to provide energy at the  prices to which their customers are accustomed.

Just one of several plants planned for the 500MW Ourzazate solar field, the 160MW CSP plant will require an initial $1 billion investment, roughly 1/9th of the total planned investment.

Another two tenders are expected to follow soon: one for a 50MW CSP plant and another for a 50MW photovoltaic plant, both of which are also slated to be built in Ourzazate.

Morocco has plans to generate 2GW of solar energy by 2020 under the Morocco Solar Plan and has teamed up with the Desertec group to export at least some of that energy to Europe via cables in the Mediterranean Sea.

:: Arabian Business

Above image by Tafline Laylin for illustrative purposes only

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As part of their negotiations with leaders throughout Africa, IRENA is pitching Morocco as the continent’s pilot country. Which makes sense given that MASEN is set to announce the winner of a tender to design, finance, construct, operate and maintain a 160 MW CSP plant near the southern city of Ouarzazate. Although the Solar Impulse journey has stalled, delaying the announcement, Saudi’s ACWA consortium seems set to win.

Lessons learned from Morocco

Building a Renewable Energy Database Framework, with Morocco as a pilot country, is just one of IRENA’s several renewable energy initiatives in Africa that is crafted to improve the accessibility and dissemination of qualitative and quantitative data to policymakers and stakeholders working to expand the continent’s clean energy infrastructure.

Morocco has keen ambitions to generate 2GW of solar energy by 2020, putting it far ahead of many other African nations that continue to stumble over coal and other fossil fuels while 590 million people continue to sit, literally, in the dark as a result of limited access to energy supplies.

“Blackouts, along with reliance on expensive fossil fuels for stop-gap electricity generation, are estimated to cost African economies between 1% and 5% of GDP each year,” according to a recent IRENA press release.

But bridging the gap will be no easy feat and requires a thorough review of both opportunities and restrains facing leaders. IRENA, with headquarters in Abu Dhabi, has introduced a Renewable Scenario for Africa, which reviews the impact of various policies that could promote the transition to a clean energy system within the next two decades.

Full energy access by 2030

“The scenario projects that the share of renewables in Africa could increase from 17% in 2009 to 50% in 2030, and nearly 75% by 2050. Total installed renewable capacity would grow from 28 GW in 2010 to around 800 GW by 2050, with solar photovoltaic accounting for 245 GW, wind 242 GW, hydropower 149 GW, concentrating solar power 94 GW, biomass 69 GW and geothermal 8 GW,” according to the agency.

“The Renewable Scenario factors in the goal of full energy access by 2030, while substantially reducing longer-term costs compared to the business- as-usual scenario in 2050. IRENA continues working with African partners to enhance the Renewable Scenario with more detailed data and tools.”

While many critics rightfully expect little in the way of meaningful action from the Rio+20 conference, these side events may prove infinitely more interesting and successful than the main circus. And North Africa, despite the Arab Spring uprisings, is leading the pack.

:: IRENA

Image credit: man walking Moroccan desert, Shutterstock

More on Rio+20 and Morocco’s Solar Energy Plans:

Israel Takes Messianic Stance at the Rio+20 Conference

What Can Rio+20 Do for the Arab World?

Desertec Begins: 500MW Moroccan Solar in 2012

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