In the presence of the Moroccan King, Mohammed VI, the first sod was cut in Ouarzazate for the construction of a solar PV plant – NOORo IV - inside the world's largest solar power complex.

The commissioning of this solar photovoltaic (PV) plant, will likely take place in the beginning of 2018.

KfW signed the loan agreement for EUR 60 million for the construction of NOORo IV back in November 2016 in the presence of the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Gerd Müller, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Marrakech.

Noor complex scheduled to supply a total of 580 MW

The Noor complex is scheduled to be completed by 2019 and supply a total of 580 megawatts of output power from three solar thermal energy (CSP) plants and one photovoltaic plant.

"As a result, Morocco is the pioneer in Africa when it comes to transitioning to renewable sources of energy. Morocco is an example of how economic growth and development can be combined with climate protection", said Dr Norbert Kloppenburg, Member of the Executive Board of KfW Bankengruppe.

On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), KfW is supporting construction of the solar power complex in southern Morocco with a total of EUR 829 million.

The planned total costs are approximately EUR 2.2 billion. At the start of 2016, the first power plant, NOORo I, was commissioned for the solar energy complex; NOORo II and III are still under construction. Germany plays a significant role in the project, which Morocco is using to implement its energy transition.

In addition, the European Union and the French development agency, AfD, together with the European Investment Bank (EIB) have pledged financing.

KfW Development Bank