Morocco’s ambitious

Noor Solar Project

The first phase of the $9bn Noor Solar Project in the Moroccan Sahara is set to open in December. It will harness the sun’s warmth to store heat in molten salt and use it to generate electricity even after dark

MOROCCAN POWER

SPAIN

100km

Noor

Solar

Project

site:

Same

size as

capital

Rabat

Dependent on

Now:

60 miles

imported fossil fuels

(electricity imported

from Spain)

Atlantic

Ocean

Rabat

MOROCCO

42%

Ouarzazate

98%

5km

Noor 1:

Phase one

of four plants

3 miles

Electricity

By 2020:

Parabolic

mirrors:

Sunlight

focuses onto

absorber

tube

generated from own

renewables

(potential

Ouarzazate

to re-export to Europe)

SOLAR THERMAL PLANT

Molten salt

Storage:

(393°C) fed into tanks

Heat exchange:

Steam generated

from stored heat

Turbine:

Steam drives

turbine which

generates

electricity,

initially for

three hours

12m

Absorber

Filled

tube:

with heat transfer

fluid – molten salt

500,000 mirrors will generate 160MW of power

Noor 1:

Sources: ACWA, SENER, TSK Flagsol, wire agencies

Picture: AP

© GRAPHIC NEWS

Morocco’s ambitious

Noor Solar Project

The first phase of the $9bn Noor Solar Project in the Moroccan Sahara is set to open in December. It will harness the sun’s warmth to store heat in molten salt and use it to generate electricity even after dark

SPAIN

100km

Noor

Solar

Project

site:

Same

size as

capital

Rabat

60 miles

Atlantic

Ocean

Rabat

MOROCCO

Ouarzazate

5km

Noor 1:

Phase one

of four plants

3 miles

Parabolic

mirrors:

Sunlight focuses

Ouarzazate

onto

absorber tube

Absorber tube:

Filled with heat

transfer

fluid –

molten

salt

SOLAR THERMAL PLANT

Molten

Storage:

salt (393°C) fed

into tanks

Heat

exchange:

Steam generated

from stored heat

Steam drives

Turbine:

turbine which generates

electricity, initially for

three hours

MOROCCAN

POWER

Dependent on imported fossil fuels

Now:

(electricity imported from Spain)

42%

98%

Electricity generated from own renewables

By 2020:

(potential to re-export to Europe)

500,000 mirrors will generate 160MW of power

Noor 1:

Sources: ACWA, SENER, TSK Flagsol,

wire agencies, Picture: Associated Press

© GRAPHIC NEWS

Morocco’s

ambitious

Noor Solar

Project

The first phase of the $9bn Noor Solar Project in the Moroccan Sahara is set to open in December. It will harness the sun’s warmth to store heat in molten salt and use it to generate electricity even after dark

SPAIN

Atlantic

Ocean

Rabat

MOROCCO

Ouarzazate

100km

ALGERIA

60 miles

Noor Solar

Project site:

Same size

as capital

Rabat

5km

3 miles

Noor 1:

Phase one

of four plants

Ouarzazate

SOLAR THERMAL PLANT

Parabolic mirrors:

Sunlight focuses

onto

absorber

tube

Absorber

Filled with

tube:

heat transfer fluid –

molten salt

Molten

Storage:

salt (393°C) fed

into tanks

Heat exchange:

Steam generated

from stored heat

Steam

Turbine:

drives turbine

which generates

electricity, initially

for three hours

MOROCCAN POWER

Dependent on imported

Now:

fossil fuels (electricity imported

from Spain)

42%

98%

Electricity generated from

By 2020:

own renewables

(potential to

re-export to Europe)

500,000 mirrors will

Noor 1:

generate 160MW of power

Sources: ACWA, SENER, TSK Flagsol,

wire agencies. Picture: Associated Press

© GRAPHIC NEWS