The International Finance Corporation is preparing to grant the OCP group new financing of 100 million euros for the development of the second phase of its solar program. This phase involves the construction of two photovoltaic power plants, with a total installed capacity of 400 MW, including at least 100 MWh of battery storage, on the mining sites of Benguérir and Khouribga which house the largest phosphate reserves in the country.
The OCP group is preparing to strengthen its partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to accelerate its energy transition. After a first loan of 100 million euros approved last April to co-finance the first phase of OCP’s solar program, the IFC is preparing to grant the Moroccan fertilizer giant new financing of 100 million euros for the development of the second phase. This involves the construction of two photovoltaic (PV) solar power plants , with a total installed capacity of 400 megawatts (MW), on the sites of the Benguérir and Khouribga phosphate mines.
The Benguérir PV plant will be developed in two stages on a 1,000 hectare site located 8 km east of the city, in the communes of Ouled Hassoun Hamri and Jaafra, in the province of Rehamna , Marrakech-Safi region. . The first stage will have a capacity of 30 MW, while the second will reach 271 MW, with a 100 megawatt hour (MWh) battery energy storage system.
As for the 99 MW PV plant in Khouribga , it will be developed in a single stage on a 770 hectare site, located 26 km southeast of the city, in the commune of Krifate, province of Fkih Ben Saleh , region of Béni Mellal-Khénifra .
The overall cost of these new projects is estimated at $380 million (around 355 million euros). The new IFC “green” loan must be approved next October.
Construction of the first stages of Benguérir and Khouribga should start in August 2024, while that of the second stage of Benguérir would begin in July 2025. This work is expected to last approximately 12 months.
Remember that the first phase of the OCP group’s ambitious solar program involves the construction of four solar power plants, with a cumulative installed capacity of 202 MW, in the mining regions of Benguérir and Khouribga, home to the largest phosphate reserves. from Morocco. The overall investment cost for these 4 solar power plants amounts to 159.2 million euros.
As part of its sustainability strategy, OCP plans to become carbon neutral by 2040. The group has increased the share of clean energy sources in its total energy consumption from 30% in 2017 to 47% in 2022 In the electricity segment, 87% came from own sources in 2022 (cogeneration: 76%; wind: 11%), while 13% was supplied by ONEE via the national network. By 2030, OCP plans to meet 100% of its electricity needs through wind, solar (including battery storage) and cogeneration.
