French-funded Moroccan solar projects raise concerns over benefits for French firms
At the French Senate on October 28, Christian Cambon denounced what he said were inadequate economic benefits from French funding for solar projects in Morocco. The Noor complex in Ouarzazate is one example: loans from the French Development Agency and construction work awarded to Spanish companies.
“French taxpayers paid for the studies, while the Spanish and the Emiratis did the work.” That is how Christian Cambon described major Moroccan solar projects before the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, October 28. The lawmaker sees them as an example of contracts going to companies other than French firms despite funding provided by Paris.
In the Senate’s official record, he criticizes the weight given to the lowest-priced bids in tenders. In his view, this approach has too often favored foreign competitors at the expense of French companies.
French funding for the Ouarzazate project is documented. The French Development Agency granted two loans totaling 150 million euros for the Noor I and Noor III power plants: 100 million for the first and 50 million for the second. The loans relate to financing the power plants, while the senator refers more specifically to the costs of studies.
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Construction of Noor I, a 160-megawatt solar thermal power plant inaugurated in 2016, was indeed awarded to three Spanish companies: Sener, Acciona and TSK. The Sener group confirms that the trio won the turnkey construction contract. The project developer was ACWA Power, a Saudi group.
Paris seeks greater benefits for its companies
The debate extends beyond these power plants, which were completed several years ago. Olivier Cadic, the Senate’s representative on the AFD board of directors, is calling for better monitoring of contracts actually won by French companies in projects funded by the agency.
He is advocating a 60% success rate in tenders, compared with the 48% rate he cited during the discussion. Senators also want the selection of companies to be based not only on price, but to give greater weight to the quality of proposals and their economic benefits.
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These discussions come as the AFD adopts a new direction under Christophe Lecourtier, France’s former ambassador to Rabat. Christian Cambon welcomes this increased focus on French interests and also calls for Paris to strengthen its cooperation in Africa with partners such as Morocco.
