Shutdown of Noor III raises questions about Morocco's energy transition

The shutdown of the Noor III solar power facility in Ouarzazate by ACWA Power due to a leak in the molten salt tank has further raised alarm on the future of energy transition projects in Morocco

Solar energy projects in Midelt and Ouarzazate are experiencing an administrative void after Moroccan authorities initiated an investigation with Mustapha Bakkouri, the former CEO of ‘MASEN’, in the wake of a deep-seated dispute related to technological choices.

A Reuters investigation showed that despite significant ambitions, Morocco’s plans for energy transition are lagging in the field of solar energy, with only about 830 megawatts installed compared to the planned 2000 megawatts.

After the shutdown of Noor III, experts raise the issue of Morocco’s continued reliance on concentrated solar power despite the risks involved, particularly when it comes to its storage.

An energy expert, Amin Bannouna, told Hespress AR that “those responsible for these projects should abandon the option of thermal generators to control the continuous reception of solar heat and store its surplus,” explaining that “supervisors must learn how to compensate for the shortage of sunlight or wind through thermal generators.”

The expert further emphasized that “the storage option, which officials perceive as easy, is very costly,” pointing out that “the malfunction that affected Noor III was due to the storage choice.”

The speaker highlighted that “this malfunction cannot affect the energy strategy launched by the Moroccan king, and it is impossible for these problems, which must be resolved in the future, to affect it.”

“The Noor III station includes a tower to collect sunlight reflected onto the panels, and it will produce about 30% of the total energy of the Ouarzazate solar complex,” Bannouna continues, “However, it only represents a fraction that does not exceed 1% of Morocco’s overall

energy production, which should indicate the lack of a clear impact from this announced shutdown.”

The expert explained that ” this is not the first problem that has occurred in the Noor complex, as there was a malfunction in early 2022, which we alerted with great concern.” He added that “the discussion about technology in the complex does not revolve around the tower, which will not be rebuilt, but around the pipes that collect energy from the panels and use coal-based oils.”