Independent power producer (IPP) Acwa Power could record a loss of $47 million following the forced shutdown of its Noor III thermodynamic solar power plant in the province of Ouarzazate in Morocco. The shutdown was caused by a leak in its heat storage tank.
While its Noor Ouarzazate III concentrated solar power (CSP) plant has been in operation since 2018, Saudi company Acwa Power could lose $47 million over the coming months in Morocco. This loss has been announced following the forced shutdown of this energy infrastructure, due to a breakdown that occurred several days ago. According to the independent power producer (IPP), a leak has been observed in its hot molten salt tank, an essential piece of equipment that stores the heat needed to produce electricity at least 7 hours after sunset.
The repair will take at least seven months, and Acwa Power is considering building a new storage tank. With a capacity of 150 MW, Noor Ouarzazate III is part of a complex of four solar power plants with a combined capacity of 580 MW. Acwa Power, which holds a 75% stake (25% for the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy, Masen), “is due to relaunch the plant in November 2024.
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It is the first tower CSP in Morocco. Its construction required an investment of 7.18 billion Moroccan dirhams, or more than $709 million. It was financed with the support of a number of lenders, including the European Investment Bank (EIB), the French Development Agency (AFD), the German Development Agency (KfW) and the World Bank.
The Noor Ouarzazate III CSP will operate for at least another 19 years. This major breakdown comes at a time when Morocco wants to speed up its energy transition, with the aim of producing 52% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
Jean Marie Takouleu
