NOOR 1 CSP IPP at Ouarzazate by ACWA Power Consortium Saves SAR 900 million to Morocco

Mohammad Abunayyan, Chairman of ACWA Power stated “NOOR 1 project is considered to be proof of the success of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model taking the best of both public and private sector contributions to make a national objective a reality. The project will contribute to the socio-economic development of Morocco through investing in human capital and building a renewable energy knowledge base in addition to ensuring maximum local content introduction not just from existing and available goods and services but to encourage and facilitate local industry development. The created industry will support the development of this CSP project and feed into the next two projects in Morocco that have already been launched and can also benefit from the emerging significant CSP market opportunity in Saudi Arabia”.

Abunayyan went on to say “NOOR 1 producing electricity from this solar energy thus eliminating the need to burn 1 million barrels of oil per each year of operation will consequently avoid the emission of 470,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year which otherwise would have required a new forest of 1 million trees to have been planted and maintained just to absorb the pollution to maintain a carbon neutral position. In addition to contributing to environmental sustainability, a targeted system of local recruitment and investment in human capital will increase the benefit to the local economy through the 1,000 local workers who will be employed during construction and 70 during operation of the Plant.”.

In addition to achieving local industrial integration, ACWA Power is seeking to collaborate with Moroccan companies, universities and research centers to transfer knowledge in solar power with the emphasis on localizing technology. ACWA Power has already instated the development of a joint R&D program focusing on CSP between King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST), and Université Internationale de Rabat (UIR).  The economic, academic and R&D collaboration between the two Kingdoms is a result of the well-established social relationship between the two countries and the shared cultural heritage.