Morocco is getting closer to construction for its planned Ouarzazate solar energy project. The country has announced that is pre-selected four consortiums to develop the first phase of the 500 MW solar project.
The first consortium includes Abeinsa ICI, Abengoa Solar, Mitsui, and Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. and the second includes Enel and ACS SCE. The other two groups are the International Co. for Water and Power (ACWA), Aries IS, and TSK EE; and Orascom Construction Industries, Solar Millennium, and Evonik Steag.
The prequalification process was open to independent power producers (IPPs) to design, finance, build, operate, and maintain the thermal solar plant. Other firms that bid on the project included GE Oil & Gas, Alstom Power, Mitsubishi Corp, SNC-Lavalin Inc., International Power, Lockheed Martin, JGC Corp, and Daewoo Engineering. Nareva Holding was also denied which comes as a surprise considering that it is a local company with the Moroccan royal family as its biggest shareholder.
The Ouarzazate plant is the first in Morocco’s planned $9 billion solar power program that will include five power stations to provide 38% of the country’s installed power capacity generation by 2020.
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