Spain's Sener starts construction of 350 MW CSP in Morocco

Sener Grupo De Ingeneria SA of Spain said today it is launching construction of the Noor II and Noor III concentrated solar power (CSP) plants in Morocco, which will have a combined capacity of 350 MW.

In January, the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (Masen) chose a tie-up between ACWA Power International of Saudi Arabia and the Spanish technology and engineering group to build the two CSP parks in Ouarzazate. The contract for the construction of the two parks is worth over EUR 500 million (USD 542m), Sener mentioned.

The now complete 160-MW Noor I facility, also build by Sener, will commence operation later in 2015. It uses the company’s SENERtrough cylindrical parabolic troughs. The 200-MW Noor II, on the other hand, will rely on the SENERtrough-2 system. Noor III, of 150 MW, will use central tower technology with salt receivers.

“It is of great satisfaction to Sener to be a part of the consortium which will make possible for the world’s largest thermosolar complex to start commercial operations in 2017,” said Miguel Domingo, the Spanish firm’s environment and solar power director. There will also be a Noor IV plant, which will use photovoltaics (PV).

Sener noted that all CSP plants in the Moroccan complex have a molten salt storage system allowing them to produce power when there is no solar radiation.

The Spanish company has been involved in turnkey CSP projects across Spain, the US, South Africa and Morocco.

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