3 December 2014: The African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Board of Directors has approved two loans for the second phase of Morocco’s Ouarzazate solar complex project. The project aims to develop two new power stations with an estimated cumulative production of over 1,100 Gwh per year and a total capacity of 350 MW, making it Africa’s largest solar power station.

The project is part of the Moroccan Solar Energy Programme (NOOR), which aims to secure power supplies for the population and economy through the development of a minimum capacity of 2,000 MW by 2020. According to the AfDB, 95% of Morocco’s primary energy currently comes from external sources and the country is expected to experience a tripling of primary energy demand and a quadrupling of electricity demand. As part of its Energy Strategy 2010-2030, Morocco aims to secure its power supply, diversify its production sources and harness renewable energy sources.

The project is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 522,000 tonnes annually. It is also expected to generate socioeconomic benefits through job generation and providing a reliable electricity supply to businesses, which will help them improve their competitiveness, according to the AfDB.

The loans include €100 million from the AfDB and US$119 million from the Climate Investment Fund’s (CIF) Clean Technology Fund. [AfDB Press Release] [CIF Website]