On the sunny side

Morocco is about to finalise the construction of one of the largest solar thermal power plants in the world: The NOOR solar complex in the Moroccan desert will be able to supply 1.3 million Moroccans with solar power by the end of this year. The North African country is thus setting an example of how sun-rich countries can herald the energy revolution.

Ouarzazate, a city in south-east Morocco, which has previously been more famous as the backdrop for films and series such as "Gladiator" or "Game of Thrones", has become the setting for a sustainable energy supply in recent years. The province of the same name, in which Ouarzazate is located, has one of the highest annual solar irradiation levels in the world at more than 2,500 kWh per square metre, making it the ideal location for the construction of a superlative solar power plant.

The individual mirrors of the NOOR III solar tower power plant are almost the size of a tennis court. / © SENER

King Mohammed VI personally opened the solar park's first plant in February 2016. NOOR 1, Arabic for "light", was the first of four power plants to be connected to the grid. NOOR II is now also generating electricity and the last two plants are in the final construction phase. They should be completed by the end of this year. The NOOR solar complex covers 30 square kilometres. This is equivalent to the size of 4,200 football pitches.

Germany is also making a significant financial contribution to this major project. The total cost of NOOR is around EUR 2.2 billion. The German contribution, which is being provided by KfW Bank and the Ministry of Development and Environment, totals around EUR 829 million. The project is being realised by the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy MASEN and SENER, a Spanish engineering group, among others.

Aerial view of the Noor Ouarzazate solar complex SENER_small.jpg

The huge NOOR solar complex is being built on an area of 30 square kilometres. / © SENER

How is electricity generated from the sun?

Various solar technologies are used in the NOOR solar complex. Two parabolic trough power plants, a solar tower power plant and a photovoltaic power plant are part of the complex. They have a total output of 580 megawatts. No other country in the world has realised a similarly large solar complex with different technologies at one location.

The concave mirrors of the Noor II system are orientated towards the sun.
/ Courtesy of SENER

In NOOR I (160 MW) and NOOR II (200 MW), parabolic mirrors focus the sun's rays and direct them onto pipes. These contain a liquid that is heated in a water vapour cycle. The water vapour then drives a conventional turbine. NOOR III is a 150 MW solar tower power plant. The sun's rays are bundled by thousands of individual mirrors and reflected onto the top of a tower over 240 metres high. The energy generated is passed on via a steam cycle.

The highlight of the three plants are molten salt storage facilities, which enable electricity production even after sunset. NOOR IV, on the other hand, will be a photovoltaic power plant with a capacity of around 70 MW.

The electricity generated in Ouarzazate is initially intended to cover Morocco's own needs. Nevertheless, the large-scale project is fuelling the dream of one day exporting climate-friendly solar power for Europe's energy supply. Who knows, perhaps the African sun will soon be shining in our living rooms at home?

Our article about the Biblioteca Pública Pompeu Fabra in Spain is also about an innovative idea for generating electricity from the sun.

Autorin: Saskia Lössl

<div class="copyrights">photo in header © SENER</div>

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