Nigeria, the largest country and biggest economy in Africa with population of over 170 million people is playing a catch up with $1.75 billion investment on solar energy compared to Morocco’s $9 billion investment.
Morocco, a northern African country has a population of just 33.2 million.
While Nigeria targets 30 percent of its energy requirement from solar power by 2030 with 1,125 megawatts, Morocco is targeting 2,000 megawatts and 52 percent of its energy from solar power.
The Federal Government had recently in Abuja, signed a Front-Runner Solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) said to demonstrate its commitment to diversify the power industry.
Babatunde Fashola, minister of power and housing, during the signing ceremony in Abuja, disclosed that before the year 2030, Nigeria would have achieved 30 per cent capacity in renewable energy, adding that Nigeria would invest in renewable power in areas such as Biomass and coal.
Fashola explained that the era had gone, when the country would depend on one source to generate its electricity.
BusinessDay reporter on-the-site visit to the ongoing construction work at Morocco’s solar plant in Quarzazate region, revealed a project of hope and one that would make the country the largest in solar power on the continent.
The project which is expected to attract $9 billion investment by the end of 2020, looks to achieve a 52 percent target by 2030, when the country would have completed other phases of the alternative energy projects.
The solar project, NOOR Quarzazate Sola Power Complex covers an area of 3,000 hectares, about 10 kilometres from the city of Quarzazate, comprising four plants with an initial capacity of 580 megawatts.
In the complex are two plants based on CPS Parabolic mirrors, a third solar plant and the last plant based on photovoltaic technology.
Richard Bayev, director of Realisation, Solar Plants and Infrastructure, told BusinessDay that the solar plant “NOOR” anticipates the construction of 5 solar power plants by 2020 totalling 2,000 MW of capacity. “The sites for these complexes are located in the regions of Ouarzazate, Ain Bni Mathar, Foum Al Oued, Boujdour and Sebkhat Tah. The plant covers an area of 450 hectares. Ultimately, the program will save 3.7 million tons of CO2 emissions per year, he stated.
Mustapha Bakkoury, president of Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN) said the agency aims to bring the share of renewable energies at 52 percent of the total energy production capacity by 2030.
Bakkoury also said that MASEN is currently qualifying new sites, using the solar atlas developed in order to have a wider project base indispensable to the new higher ambition.”
He further stated that the construction and operation of these integrated plants go along with the active and committed socio-economic development of the regions in which they are located.
“We cannot do this if we do not engage and mobilise all the actors to ensure its success and we have been able to build that confidence. We realised on time that there is alternative to fossil energy and we also saw that renewable energy has probable future we have pursued this vigorously, he observed.”
Other target projects by the North African country for renewable energy in the economy is the Morocco Wind Parks and this aims to establish 2,000 MW of capacity by 2020 allowing for an annual production corresponding to 26 percent of the current electricity production in the Kingdom, and thus avoiding the emission of 5.6 million tons of CO2 per year. The sites identified for the plan are: Tangier, Jbel Lahdid, Taza, Midelt, Tiskrad and Boujdour. These projects should be operational between 2017 and 2020.
Among the Companies participating in the Public Private Partnerships are Pan Africa Solar with 75mw of electricity to be located in Kankia Local Government in Katsina and Nigerian Solar Capital Partners, 100mw located in Ganjuwa, Bauchi state.
Others are Afrinergia Power Limited, 50mw located in Kokowa, Nasarawa State; Motir Dusable Limited, 100 MW in Udi, Enugu State and Nova Solar 5 Farm Limited, 100mw located in Katsina State.
Also Kvk Power Nigeria Pvt Limited, 100mw located in Yabo, Sokoto state; Middle Band Solar One Limited, 100mw in Lokoja West, in Kogi and LR Aaron Power Limited, 100mw in FCT.
Nova Scotia Power Development Limited, 80mw located in Dutse; CT Cosmos, 70 MW located in Kaduna West in Kaduna State and Oriental Renewable Solutions, 50mw in Kakowa, Jigawa.
Quaint Abiba Power Limited, 50mw located in Manchor Local Government of Kaduna State and Anjeed Innova Group, 100mw located in Kafanchan, also in Kaduna State.
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