The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) has tendered the contracts for two lots of solar photovoltaic (PV) schemes under the Noor Atlas programme, which Office National de L’Electricite et de L’Eue Potable (Onee) first initiated in 2012.

The two lots will be implemented using an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model.

A total of seven sites in the eastern and southern parts of the country make up the 260MW package.

The first lot comprises the following five projects:

• Ain Beni Mathar: 42MW
• Enjil: 42MW
• Boudnib: 36MW
• Outat el-Haj: 36MW
• Buonane: 30MW

The second lot comprises two solar PV projects in Tan-Tan and Tata, with each having a planned capacity of 36MW.

Masen plans to open the bids on 30 October.

The projects will require an investment of €272m ($277m).  European Investment Bank (EIB) and the German public bank KfW will co-finance the projects.

It is understood the projects are expected to complete by 2024 or 2025, five years later than initially expected.

Morocco has around 50 renewable energy projects in operation, with a total capacity of 4,109 MW, or 38 per cent of the overall electricity production capacity, according to a local media report.

Morocco aims to source up to 52 per cent of its energy from renewable sources, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45.5 per cent, by 2030.