Noor 3 Solar plant in Morocco to restart in March 2025

The Noor 3 solar power plant (150 MW) in Ouarzazate will remain out of service until the end of the first quarter of 2025 due to a technical issue that occurred a year ago, ACWA Power announced in its latest quarterly report.

The facility was shut down in March 2024 to repair a leak in the molten salt tank. Initially, its return to service was scheduled for November 2024, as announced by Moroccan authorities. This delay extends the period of inactivity for the plant, which is an integral part of the Noor solar complex.

This prolonged shutdown led to a depreciation of 191.6 million Saudi riyals (SAR) in 2024 for the operating company. ACWA Power, the majority shareholder with 75%, incurred a loss of 143.7 million SAR (38.2 million dollars / 380 million dirhams).

Commercially operational since late 2018, Noor 3 is one of Morocco's key solar infrastructures. This new postponement raises questions about the impact of this prolonged outage on the country's energy production and the progress of renewable energy projects.