The Noor Midelt I solar project is finally moving into construction after seven years of delays. A Chinese-led consortium will build the plant in Midelt province under a new design that combines 632.85MW of solar power with 1,323.96MWh of battery storage. China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC) has signed the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the project.
The consortium includes China Energy International Group, the Southwest Electric Power Design Institute and China Energy Engineering Group Construction.
The solar panels will come from LONGi Green Energy Technology, while Sungrow Power Supply will provide the battery storage systems.
The project is expected to become the largest single-site solar and battery storage plant in Africa when completed.
The design is very different from the one approved in 2019.
The original project was awarded to a consortium led by EDF Renouvelables, Masdar and Green of Africa. It was planned as an 800MW plant using both photovoltaic solar power and concentrated solar power, or CSP.
The CSP technology was meant to keep producing electricity after sunset.
Construction never started. Disagreements over the cost and performance of the CSP technology delayed the project.
The new plan removes CSP completely. Batteries will now store electricity produced during sunny hours and release it when solar production falls or demand on the grid increases.
CEEC said: “The grouping of three CEEC entities signed the EPC contract covering design, procurement, construction, and commissioning. Upon completion, the project will represent the largest single-site solar-plus-storage complex on the African continent.”
The original consortium said in 2019 that the project would combine CSP and photovoltaic technology “to deliver evening peak electricity at a record-low tariff.”
The change comes as Morocco prepares to add nearly 10,000MW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. The country is also targeting a 52% share of renewables in its installed electricity capacity by that year.
The Noor Midelt II and III projects are also being redesigned around solar photovoltaic technology and battery storage.
CEEC has not said how much the Noor Midelt I contract is worth or when construction will be completed.
The project was originally awarded in 2019. Seven years later, it is starting construction with less solar capacity and a completely different storage system.
