SeeNews Renewables
by Mariyana Yaneva
Moroccan electricity and water utility company ONEE has decided to raise the capacity of the forthcoming Noor-Argana photovoltaic tender to 200 MW from 125 MW, bringing the total capacity of its photovoltaic programme to 500 MW by 2018.
The call for pre-qualification bids for Noor-Argana, which represents the third phase of ONEE’s photovoltaic programme, will take place at the end of 2016 or at the start of 2017. Commissioning of the projects is schedulled to start in 2018.
The projects from this phase will be sited in the regions of Boumalen, Province de Tinghir, Errhamna and Essaouira. The construction of the total capacity of 200 MW is estimated to cost about EUR 250 million (USD 273m), excluding costs for studies.
According to information of Moroccan daily Le Matin, ONEE has already started putting together the financial backing for Noor-Argana. An informed source told the daily many international financing institutions have already showed interest in participating, including the European Investment Bank (EIB) and German KfW bank which are already involved in the financing of Noor Atlas — the second phase of ONEE’s PV development programme, which will be launched this year.
Noor-Tafilalet, the first phase of ONEE’s programme, focused on assuring electricity supply for regions “at the end of the line” or regions powered by 60 kV lines and sited at a long distance from transformation posts. The phase comprises three photovoltaic projects of 25 MW each, to be sited in the regions of Erfoud, Zagora and Missour.
The pre-qualification tender for Noor-Tafilalet was launched in July 2015 and the first project is expected to be put on stream at the start of 2017 at the latest. The costs for Noor-Tafilalet are estimated at EUR 158 million, of which EUR 148.95 million will be provided by the World bank.
The pre-qualification tender for the 200 MW second phase (or Noor Atlas) should be launched over the course of the current year.
Noor-Atlas will comprise eight photovoltaic (PV) plants of 10 MW to 30 MW each. Three of the PV plants will be sited near Tata, Tahla (Bouizakarne) and Tan Tan in the southern part of the country, and five solar farms will be located to the east at Outat El Haj, Ain Beni Mathar, Boudnib, Bouanane and Boulmane (Enjil).
ONEE has already acquired the land rights of the eight sites and has launched feasibility studies. Geothechnical investigation is currently under way.
Commissioning of the Noor-Atlas projects is expected mostly in 2018 but the first PV plant may come on stream as early as the end of 2017.
The overall investment for Noor-Atlas is estimated at EUR 300 million, which will be partially financed through German KfW, EIB as well as by a contribution from the European Commission.
