Morocco’s Office National de l’Electricite et de l’Eau Potable (ONEE) has awarded Spanish firm Abengoa a €23m ($28.6m) electricity transmission contract.

The contract is for the engineering, construction, maintenance and operation of 210 kilometres of power transmission lines.

The work comprises three 400kV sections in northern Morocco: Matmata-Msoun; Msoun-Gteter; and Bourdim-Jerada, which are 80km, 80km and 50km long respectively. The deal includes upgrading not only the Moroccan power grid, but also its connection with the Algerian network.

The project is due to commence operation in 2016.

Abengoa has been working in Morocco since the 1970s. Its recent projects in the country include the 470MW Ain Beni Mathar solar integrated combined-cycle plant.

It has submitted bids for the Noor 2 and Noor 3 solar projects, which will form part of the world’s largest concentrated solar power (CSP) complex.