Morocco's Bright Idea

Saturday, 19 December 2009

Leverage in high oil prices and environmental demands

Well before Copenhagen the major players in solar energy technology had already lined up and set their sights on the solar energy development plan announced at Ouarzazate at the beginning of November. Sweet revenge indeed for zero emission energy after its development was abruptly halted by oil which was going ‘too cheaply’ as, Jacques Chazeau, an adviser in concentrated solar energy, has revealed. How things have changed! Two days before the end of the Copenhagen summit it is not so much the price issue which has propelled solar energy to centre stage as the constraints linked to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

In their laboratories the leading plant manufacturers have continued to stake on the future and have carried on with their research programmes. The technological solutions date back to the eighties. There are several different kinds of solar energy production which are being developed at a rapid rate. Photovoltaic energy is a procedure by which solar energy is directly converted into electricity by semi-conductor materials, such as silicon, covered in a thin layer of metal. In the technology known as thermal solar energy the sun’s rays are concentrated through the use of mirrors. The heat which is collected produces steam which is then converted into electricity by a turbo-alternator group.

The choices made in the matter of technology will be determining factors. At the moment the CDER (Centre de Développement des Energies Renouvelables) is carrying out a study in order to establish which technology or technologies would be in Morocco’s best interests. But already one thing is agreed: there is no question of either being dependent on one type of technology or of becoming a testing ground for the big concerns.

If the experts are to be believed, tower technology is the most suitable for Morocco. This was developed from space technology by the company which invented the technology for engine propulsion in American rockets. It would entail the construction in Morocco of a solar installation of five plants using Solar Reserve’s technology over an area of more than 3,000 hectares with solar radiation of 2,500 KWh/m²/per year producing 3TWh/per year of green electricity. A discharge of 1,5 million tonnes of CO2 would be avoided. Discussions over technical arguments are still at a very early stage.

This particular technology is suitable for Morocco because 75% of the input for a plant using this technology can be produced on site. This can be the main source of supply for a whole chain. Elsewhere this is not the case. In terms of sunshine, Morocco can be compared to the west of America where vast deserts facilitate the production of very cheap solar-based energy.

According to Jacques Chazeau, concentrated solar energy is a key factor in sustainable development for Morocco and indeed the Mediterranean. Chazeau, an expert in these highly complex markets, suggests three reasons why this is so. Firstly, the energy produced must be competitive, i.e. accessible to the majority. It should also create jobs as it stimulates the development of local equipment and materials plants. Finally, still on an economic level, the most important factor is that Morocco will benefit not only from a high return but also from an “inexhaustible fuel” supply (the sun). There is still a need to find technologies which will allow this energy to be captured, stored and put into service when ONE (Office national de l’énergie) and industry need it. Only ambitious projects will result in prices which can compete against fossil fuels. And, according the French expert Chazeau, the Moroccan plan is exactly that.

On an environmental level, over and above the added value created by the equipment sector, a sufficient quantity of home-produced clean electricity opens up export possibilities. In these difficult times for the balance of trade this can give a boost to the Kingdom’s export possibilities.

Solar energy has the advantage that it can be ‘stored’ unlike wind or photovoltaic energy where there can also be variations in capacity. This is what the electricity boards hate most of all. They dislike having to manage fluctuations in capacity on their network. On an industrial level, the challenge is to produce a volume of electricity which remains constant, similar, for example, to hydro or nuclear energy. Electricity boards are well known for hating the gymnastics they have to perform when capacity varies on their network.

Morocco Newsline

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