Morocco solar energy storage system

Ouarzazate Solar Power Station. As of 2019, renewable energy in Morocco covered 35% of the country's electricity needs.

Morocco has launched one of the world's largest solar energy projects costing an estimated $9 billion. The aim of the project was to create 2,000 megawatts of solar generation capacity by 2020. The Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN), a public-private venture, was established to lead the project.

In November 2009 Morocco announced a solar energy project worth $9 billion which officials said will account for 38 percent of the North African country's installed power generation by 2020. Funding would be from a mix of private and state capital. The ceremony was attended by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Moroccan king.

Morocco has since pledged to increase the renewables in its electricity mix to 52% by 2030, made up of 20% solar, 20% wind and 12% hydro. In November 2009 Morocco announced a solar energy project worth $9 billion which officials said will account for 38 percent of the North African country's installed power generation by 2020.

As seen through the economic analysis, the main benefits of this system are the low cost of maintaining the solar panels, solar energy is cheaper than current forms of energy, and a decreased amount of money spent on pollution by the Moroccan government.

Morocco has a solar potential of more than 3400 MW p (Karim and Kamilia, 2011). This is due to its more than 3000 hours of sunshine per year and an average solar irradiation of 2500 kWh/m²/year (Karim and Kamilia, 2011). Fig. 13 shows the global horizontal irradiation in Morocco (kWh/m²/year) (Karim and Kamilia, 2011).