The Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (Masen) has extended the submission date for technical proposals for is planned 400MW hybrid concentrated solar power (CSP)/ photovoltaic (PV) solar project.

Developers now have until 12 December to submit technical bids for the project. The previous submission date was 12 October.

In December 2016, Masen received prequalification entries for Noor Midelt, which involves the construction of one or more solar plants with a total installed capacity of 400MW. The project is expected to consist of two separate plants with a CSP capacity of 150-190MW and a minimum of 5 hours of thermal storage. The capacity of the PV component, for daytime generation, will be left to the bidders’ discretion, but it will not be allowed to exceed night time capacity from CSP by more than 20 per cent.

The Noor Midelt complex will be located on 3,150 hectares of land, 20km north of the town of Midelt in northern Morocco. The hybrid scheme will be developed as an IPP using a BOOT concession under a long-term PPA between Masen and the project company.

As with Morocco’s other solar IPP schemes, Masen will buy the electricity at the price offered by the successful bidder and sell it to ONEE through a second PPA between Masen and the utility. Masen will provide the site infrastructure, including roads, water and power.