Morocco is on the way to dramatically cutting its dependence on imported oil after successfully launching Noor 1 -- the first phase of what will eventually become the world's largest concentrated solar plant.
The country has historically relied almost entirely on imports from abroad for its energy. Now it has found a way to transform its abundance of sunlight into an economic asset.
Advertisement
When the project is completed in 2018, it's expected to reduce Morocco's fossil fuel reliance by two and a half million tons of oil and provide enough leftover energy to export to Europe.
Morocco's King Mohammed VI inaugurated the first installment of the new thermodynamic project on Thursday in the desert city of Ouarzazate, flanked by famous guests like French Energy Minister Ségolène Royal and balloonist Bertrand Piccard.
The project is funded by the World Bank, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank and private stakeholders, and its first phase cost an estimated $894 million. The total price tag for the project will be approximately $9 billion, according to Moroccan officials.
"The Noor Project will allow Morocco to reach energy independence," Moroccan Communications Minister Mustapha El Khalfi told HuffPost Morocco.
Many people speak, but Morocco acts. the biggest solar powerplant opens today thanks to the King's vision with Masen pic.twitter.com/lFp0mDqpWO
Initially, Noor 1 will provide 650,000 residents with 160 megawatts of power, the Guardian reports. It's eventually expected to generate 580 megawatts of power for 1.1 million people, 20 hours per day.
The government also plans to build power stations in other Moroccan cities, aiming to complete the Noor Project by 2018. Together, the power stations should yield 2,000 megawatts of solar energy -- reducing Morocco's carbon emissions by a projected 760,000 tons per year.
Advertisement
Noor 1 alone will eventually reduce carbon emissions by 240,000 tons per year, said Mustapha Bakkoury, chairman of the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy, which spent six years developing the power plant in Ouarzazate.
This video, which is narrated in French and posted to YouTube by Pierre Gable, gives an overview of the Noor Project.
Advertisement
So far, the project has earned plenty of praise. A study conducted by the German research institution Wuppertal Institute and the NGO Germanwatch found that "Unlike the potential harm associated with mining activities and fossil fuel power plants at the local level, the negative impacts stemming from Noor I were found to be low and significantly lower in areas including harm to public health and air and water pollution."
“It is a very, very significant project in Africa,” said Mafalda Duarte, the manager of Climate Investment Funds, an organization that helped fund the initiative. "Morocco is showing real leadership and bringing the cost of the technology down in the process,” she added.
The new power plant will lead to energy security and job creation, said Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, the World Bank country director for Maghreb. “With this bold step toward a clean energy future, Morocco is pioneering a greener development and developing a cutting edge solar technology,” she said.
In November, Morocco will host COP 22, the United Nations' annual climate change conference, where world leaders discuss strategies to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
Morocco aims to reach 52 percent clean energy production by 2030. Beyond its powerful new solar plant initiative, the country is also making strides in its water management initiatives, intended to combat desertification by protecting the country's vulnerable oases.
Also on HuffPost:
Climate change seen from around the world
Advertisement
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.