Morocco Explores Floating Solar Panels to Combat Dam Water Loss and Boost Energy Production

Floating photovoltaics is a technology that involves setting up solar power plants on the surfaces of hydraulic basins. This is the solution that Morocco plans to explore to fight against the evaporation of water in dams, with the gain of electricity production. It also makes it possible to cope with the evaporation of water bodies. The feasibility study that Suntrace is carrying out for Masen will allow the adoption or not of floating photovoltaics. In this field, the kingdom is not behind, as France launched its first floating solar station in October 2019 only.

The objective of the ongoing study, according to Abderrahim Jamrani, director of technical design at Masen, is not to determine the quantities of water to be gained, but to calculate the cost of this technology compared to other scientific processes, such as desalination. For Jamrani, we must ask whether a photovoltaic solar power plant is more profitable than a desalination plant for 1m³ of water before making a choice. But he specifies that at equivalent costs, it is floating photovoltaics that will prevail. Because it is regions like Draâ or Tafilalet, far from the ocean, that have to be supplied with desalinated water at a very high cost.

On the Masen side, the option of installing dams near solar power plants is considered, in case floating photovoltaics is abandoned due to its prohibitive costs. The El Mansour Eddahbi dam is targeted due to its proximity to Ouarzazate, where the large Noor station is located. Morocco has large areas to accommodate power plants according to the standards in force, which must take into account the costs and the volume of water that they will help preserve.

The study includes not only the ecological aspect which must assess the environmental impact on fauna and flora, but also the depths of the basins and the proximity of the banks to be respected.

Floating photovoltaic electricity costs 20 to 25% more than ground-based production. This is why more details are required from Suntrace in its results on Morocco. These details will make it possible to determine the relevance or not of floating photovoltaics to arrive at a choice.