New solar power plant in Morocco bigger than its capital

(Photo: Shutterstock)

The first phase of the power plant in Varzazat, also known as Nor 1, will feature 500,000 solar panels that will follow the sun the whole day long.

These panels, 12 meters tall each, focus the light and heat a steel pipeline containing a solution of thermal oil, which can be heated up to 393 degrees Celsius, and water, which creates steam and starts turbines to produce electricity.

By 2020, this power plant will be producing half of the power required by the country. With two more phases, Nor 2 and Nor 3, it will be making 580 MWh of electricity, which is enough to satisfy the energy needs of a million households.

Reasons for this project have nothing to do with environmental protection, but security. Namely, Morocco wants to overcome the problem of dependency on the importation of fossil fuels by investing USD 9 billion in this project.