Saudi solar plant in Morocco suffers breakdown with cost estimated $47 million

Renewable energy utility ACWA Power International reported a storage breakdown at one of its solar power plants in Morocco on Sunday.

According to a Reuters report quoting a company statement on the Saudi Stock Exchange website, the breakdown will cost the firm an estimated $47 million. The 150-megawatt Noor III plant, part of the Noor Ouarzazate solar complex, will be inactive until November 2024 due to the issue.

This is not the first problem at the Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plant. In the summer of 2021, breakdowns interrupted production for a year, according to sources who spoke to Reuters last month. The company has assured they will solve the storage problem and are considering building a new storage tank.

A 2020 report by Morocco's Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) recommended abandoning CSP altogether due to its high cost compared to photovoltaic and wind power, Reuters reported.

The news agency also highlights Morocco's goal of achieving 52% of its installed capacity from renewable energies by 2030, up from the current 37.6%. The country is lagging behind in solar energy, with only 831 megawatts (MW) installed so far, out of the 2,000 MW initially planned for 2020. Wind power has helped make up some of the shortfall.