Marocco's Solar Sensing Δ 11th of January 2014 Ω 11:25 AM

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«Solar Energy Sensing
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~ Marocco Newsline

Marocco Newsline

»Marocco promotes Solar Energy with Solar Plane landing
ξ ambitious and expensive plan to draw 40 percent of its energy needs from the limitless power of its blazing sun by 2020
ξ the first solar powered plane to make an intercontinental flight landed in the North African kingdom
ξ Swiss pilot and adventurer Bertrand Piccard stepped out of the fragile craft in front of reporters after 20-hour flight from Madrid
ξ paid tribute to Morocco's solar ambitions, which include one day exporting electricity to Europe
ξ hugged members of his team on the tarmac <-- ?
ξ Solar Impulse swept silently out of the darkness to glide onto the runway
ξ its four battery-powered turbo-props were already still, showing off the aircraft's ability to fly even when the sun is gone
ξ the plane's 1,554 mile (2,500 kilometer) trip from Switzerland to Morocco was closely followed around Europe <--$
ξ Piccard's fellow pilot and Solar Impulse partner, Andre Borschberg <-- ?
ξ fligh showed solar energy is a technology that we can trust!

Marocco's Solar Plans

ξ 2009, Morocco announced a $9 billion project to build five solar energy plants
ξ to harness the sun's rays and produce 2,000 megawatts of electricity by 2020
ξ Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy, known as Masen, sponsored the arrival of the Solar Impulse <-- contact!
ξ Marocco plans to announce which international consortium has won the bid to start work on a 160-megawatt solar power plant to be built in the southern city of Ouarzazate
ξ Mustafa Bakkouri is the head of Masen
ξ goal is to reduce Marocco's dependence on fossil fuels, most of which it imports
ξ Morocco is one of the few countries in the region almost wholly dependent on imports for its energy needs
ξ it has been hard hit by the soaring oil prices over the last few years
ξ as if to underscore the importance of its new commitment to solar energy,
ξ the government was forced to reduce subsidies on gasoline and diesel,
ξ raising the price at the pump by 20 and 15 percent respectively
ξ the decision was taken to preserve the macro-economic balance argued Budget Minister Idriss Azami
ξ already 80 percent of the subsidy budget has been used and the year is only half over
ξ the increase in fuel prices is expected to also push up the price of food,
ξ much of which is trucked in from farms in the deep south and elsewhere
ξ there are fears that rising prices could provoke demonstrations that have largely subsided
ξ It will be a while before Morocco's solar energy comes online
ξ Ouarzazate plant is expected to be operational by 2014, with plans to boost its capacity to 500 megawatts by 2015
ξ Morocco is finding that solar energy does not come cheap
ξ Quarzazate plant was originally set to cost $440 million, but has since ballooned to at least $1.25 billion
ξ funding comes from international sources, including the World Bank, the African Development Bank and a consortium of German companies
ξ promoting solar energy across North Africa called Dii <-- ?

International development funds for solar

ξ have been earmarked for similar projects in Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan,
ξ but none are nearly as advanced as in Morocco, where the 2,500 hectare (10 square mile)
ξ Ouarzazate site has been marked out on the edge of the desert.

Morocco's solar plants

ξ will be using concentrated solar power
ξ a different technology than the 12,000 photovoltaic cells lining the jumbo jet sized wings of the Solar Impulse.
ξ endless rows of parabolic mirrors will heat up a synthetic oil,
ξ which will then produce steam to turn turbines to produce the electricity
ξ solar power has yet to be perfected as a technology that could replace fossil fuels
ξ the power from the Ouarzazate plant is expected to cost twice as much as fossil energy,
ξ a difference the Moroccan government has pledged to cover before selling it to the state electricity company
ξ — for now with the help of a World Bank loan
ξ a further set of loans will be needed to subsidize the electricity produced
ξ in Europe many countries have measures in place to requiring an increased reliance on renewable energy sources
ξ they are expected to be willing to pay a premium for Morocco's clean solar energy

Dii consortium

»Dii
ξ envisages a string of solar energy plants across North Africa
ξ that would eventually supply all the energy needs there, as well as 15 percent of Europe's

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