Noor, Largest Concentrated Solar Power Complex 

The 500MW Noor Solar Complex is the world’s biggest concentrated solar power plant project.

The Noor Solar Complex is a 500MW solar park located in the municipality of Ouarzazate in the Agadir district of Morocco.

It is the biggest concentrated solar power plant project in the world.

The location of the project offers 2,635 kilowatt per hour of sunlight a year, which is considered to be one of the highest in the world.

The solar park integrates multiple utility-scale solar power plants equipped with various solar technologies.

The Noor solar park includes Noor I, Noor II and Noor III projects, which occupy an area of 2,500 hectares.

The three power plants were grid connected by 2018. The Noor Solar Complex offsets 760,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year.

Significance of the Noor Ouarzazate Solar Complex

The Noor solar energy plant was the country’s first renewable energy project.

Four more solar plants were expected to follow, providing a total of 2 GW of power by 2020 to cover the country’s energy demands, which were met by imports to the tune of up to 95%.

Morocco’s solar-power policy was also to help minimize global warming.

As the host of the United Nations Climate Conference (COP22) in November 2016, the country was leading the way.

The Noor I CSP plant created around 1,000 construction employment opportunities and 60 permanent jobs during the operation and maintenance phase.

By offsetting 240,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, Noor I was projected to contribute to the fight against global warming.

Together, Noor II and Noor III were to help reduce 533,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

When completed, the entire Noor solar complex was expected to reduce global CO2 emissions by an estimated 760,000 tonnes per year.

The Noor Ouarzazate Solar Complex was supposed to deliver solar power to 650,000 local residents from daybreak to three hours after dusk.

That was the country’s peak period for power use.

The electricity capacity was aimed to be 580 MW by 2018, with a storage capacity of 7 to 8 hours, allowing power to be supplied to 1 million residences day and night.