Morocco’s Noor III CSP tower exceeds performance targets, experts say

Morocco’s 150 MW Noor III CSP tower, the third part of the Ouarzazate Solar Power Station, has exceeded performance targets on output and storage integration in the first months of operation, Senior Consultant at CSP engineering group Empresarios Agrupados (EA) Xavier Lara told New Energy Update.

Quoting experts, New Energy Update reports that Noor III’s strong performance will «reduce reliability concerns for CSP tower with storage and lower the cost of capital for future projects».

«Data from the first few months of operation shows Noor III is exceeding performance targets on total output, ramping rates, as well as the integration of the thermal energy storage and steam generation systems», Lara said.

For the record, 150 MW Noor III central tower plant was brought by Saudi power generation company ACWA Power in December, the same source said.

The tower has a storage capacity of 7.5 hours. Installed by Spanish firm SENER and Chinese company SEPCO Electric Power Construction Corporation, Noor II is expected to be the largest operational tower plant in the world with molten salt storage technology, EA told the same platform.