Morocco has abruptly delayed the scheduled inauguration of Noor-I CSP, a $600-million, 160-MW concentrated solar powerplant scheduled for start-up on Dec. 27.
Noor-I is the first of three plants being built at Ouarzazate, 200 km south of Marrakech city, by ACWA Power International, a subsidiary of Riyadh-based ACWA Holding. CSP systems concentrate solar rays with mirrors or lenses. The three plants at Ouarzazate will incorporate different types of solar technologies and, taken together, should have a capacity of 510 MW and create the world’s largest CSP park when complete. A fourth phase in discussion will use photovoltaic technology.