The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN) has started construction on the 305MW Noor Atlas solar PV portfolio, which consists of six projects in Morocco.
The largest project in the portfolio is the 121MW Noor Ain Beni Mathar facility, in the country’s Oriental region in the north-east. The Oriental region is also home to the smallest project in the portfolio, the 29MW Noor Bouanane facility, and is the only region with multiple projects in this portfolio; the four other projects are divided among the Fez-Meknès region to the west of Oriental, the Drâa-Tafilalet region on the country’s eastern border, the Souss-Massa region in central Morocco and the Guelmim-Oued Noun region, which borders Western Sahara.
Try Premium for just $1
- Full premium access for the first month at only $1
- Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
- Cancel anytime during the trial period
Premium Benefits
- Expert industry analysis and interviews
- Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
- Exclusive event discounts
Or get the full Premium subscription right away
Or continue reading this article for free
While the company did not provide a timeline for construction of the projects, it noted that it has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Moroccan National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water to sell power generated at the project, which MASEN said “illustrates the maturity of the Moroccan renewable energy development model”.
The project has also received financing support from overseas investors, including the European Investment Bank (EIB) —which contributed €129 million—and German investment bank KfW.
The start of construction is a positive development for the Moroccan renewable energy sector, which has seen setbacks in recent years. Last year, the UK government chose not to award a Contract for Difference (CfD) to the mammoth Xlinks Morocco-UK interconnector, and in 2024, renewable energy sources accounted for just 26% of the country’s total electricity generation, around half of the target of 52% by the end of the decade.
However, Morocco has made advances in clean energy manufacturing. Last year, the government and local firm GPM Holding announced plans to build a 30,000MT “green polysilicon” production facility, and the development of polysilicon manufacturing plants outside of China—which accounted for around 95% of global production as of 2024—is a positive development in terms of diversifying the global solar supply chain.
