Noor III Solar Power Plant, Noor Ouarzazate, Morocco

installed capacity of the Noor III power plant which is located near the town of Ouarzazate, on the edge of the Sahara. It is part of a 4 unit complex of solar CSP and PV technology.

electricity generated by the plant annually.

approximate number of households that can be powered by the plant each year.

estimated reduction in CO2 emissions each year, once the farm is operational.

area on which the Noor I complex is built - large enough to be seen from space. [In the photo: The Noor I power plant as seen from space. In the lower left, you can see the Moroccan town of Ouarzazate; in the lower right is the reservoir that is supplying the plant with water.]

crescent-shaped solar mirrors arranged in 800 rows follow the sun as it tracks across the heavens, whirring quietly every few minutes.

major organisations involved: 1) Project owner and developer: MASEN 2) EPC contractor: SENER,ACCIONA and TSK 3) Power distribution: ?.

Moroccon dirhams (700 million USD) investment required for Noor I.

Morocco officially turned on a massive solar power plant in the Sahara Desert today, kicking off the first phase of a planned project to provide renewable energy to more than a million Moroccans.