Good news stories from and about Africa
By Lamine Ghanmi CASABLANCA (Reuters) - Investor interest in phase one of Morocco's $9 billion solar power scheme has exceeded expectations with about 200 firms submitting expressions of interest, the head of Morocco's solar power agency said. The Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN) is inviting bids from investors interested in building a solar power station near the southern town of Ouarzazate with a capacity of 500 megawatts (MW), or enough to power about 90,000 homes. The agency set May 24 as the deadline for would-be investors to submit their expressions of interest in the station, which is intended to export its surplus electricity to customers in power-hungry Europe. "Our assessment of the May 24 expressions of interest files showed that the outcome was impressive and went beyond our expectations," MASEN Chief Executive Officer Mustapha Bakkoury told Reuters in an interview.
