Morocco builds world's largest solar power plant

In Morocco, in the city of Ouarzazate, the first phase of construction of the world's largest solar power plant - Noor 1, which will cost about USD 9 billion, is about to be completed.

In addition to the Kingdom of Morocco, the World Bank will partially finance this grandiose project that was launched due to the country's dependence on fossil fuels which are almost completely imported from other countries.

- We do not produce oil, we import 94% of fuels, mainly fossil ones, which represents a huge burden on our budget. That is why we are very proud of this project - Moroccan Environmental Minister Hakima el-Haite told the British daily The Guardian.

Noor 1, the first phase of the power plant in Ouarzazate, will feature 500,000 solar panels that will follow the sun the whole day long.

These panels 12 meters tall absorb light and heat a steel pipeline containing a solution of thermal oil, which can be heated up to 393 degrees Celsius, and water to produce steam and start power generation turbines.

The Ourzazate solar power project was launched in May 2013. The plan is to implement it in three phases, the first of which - Noor 1, is going to be finished this month, while Noor 2 and Noor 3 are expected to be completed in 2017.

This project is one of the most important for Morocco's aspiration to become a global solar superpower.

Once completed, this entire complex will be bigger in size than Morocco's capital Rabat, the French national television TF1 reports.

When they are fully finished in 2020, four linked solar mega-plants in Ourzazate will be generating 580 MW of electricity, which is enough for about a million households.

Ouarzazate will become the energy center of the future, satisfying 42% of the annual energy needs of this monarchy.

For the sake of comparison, the world's strongest power plant is hydroelectric power station in China, called Three Gorges, with a capacity of up to 22,500 MW.

The city of Ouarzazate has a population of 56,000. Nicknamed the "door of the desert", this city is also known as the Moroccan Hollywood because it has played host to location shots in Lawrence of Arabia, The Mummy, Gladiator...

The World Bank USA

Ouarzazate solar power plant

World Bank

Environmental Ministry of Morocco

Hakima el Haite

Three Gorges hydroelectric power station in China

fossil fuel