“The Noor 1 project has led the way in showing that costs have come down significantly from the first phase of global deployment of CSP and has helped raise awareness of the economic possibilities of the technology,” Michael Taylor, renewables analyst at the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), tells Recharge.
The 45sq km parabolic-trough plant, which was inaugurated by King Mohammed VI on 4 February, is the first of three phases planned at the 580MW Noor-Ouarzazate complex on the edge of the Sahara Desert.
The
