Construction Week Online
Neha Bhatia
Abu Dhabi-headquartered Masdar announced that it has completed installing an off-grid solar power project that provides energy to 19,438 homes in Morocco.
The announcement was made on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), where Masdar also revealed that the project, named Morocco Solar Home System (SHS), extends across 1,000 villages in the country.
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SHS is a partnership between Masdar and Morocco’s Office National de l’Electricite et de l’Eau Potable (ONEE).
Each of the installed systems comprises 290-watt solar panels and batteries, which have a storage capacity of three days.
LED lamps and a 165-litre refrigerator have also been provided to each home.
Masdar will maintain the SHS units for two years through its engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors, following which, ONEE will manage the network for eight years.
Each homeowner will contribute a small monthly fee for the technology’s upkeep.
Commenting on SHS, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, chief executive officer of Masdar, said: “Morocco is a showcase for progressive policies and regulations that enable the adoption of renewable energy, and for effective public-private cooperation.
“Off-grid solar has the capacity to deliver electricity access to remote regions practically and cost-efficiently. Masdar is proud to have contributed our expertise and experience to help implement this transformative project, and we remain a committed partner of Morocco to support the realisation of its long-term clean energy goals.”
Abderrahim El Hafidi, acting director-general of ONEE, said, SHS would help the agency provide energy access to more than 99% of its rural communities in Morocco.
“These remote, off-grid communities are often faced with challenging conditions in energy access, but this initiative is providing over 95,000 people with electricity through customised renewable energy solutions,” Hafidi added, according to WAM.
