Japanese Firm, Sumitomo, wants to transform Morocco into a “hub of production and Export” of the new Concentration Photovoltaic technology.

On November 10, following the opening of 8 vehicle-wiring factories in Tangier, Kenitra and Casablanca, the Japanese firm, in collaboration with the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN), unveiled a new Concentration Photovoltaic (CPV) power station with 1MW capacity at Noor Power Station in Ouarzazate.

According to local media, while attending the 4th edition of the Arab-Japanese economic forum, the two companies signed an agreement calling for construction of the Concentration Photovoltaic power station in order to evaluate the performance of the technology in Morocco.

Data collected from the photovoltaic panels, installed by the firms in Casablanca and Ouarzazate between 2013 and 2015, reveal the performance quality to be “excellent.”

The Concentration Photovoltaic panels use a new technology that improves the efficiency of energy production and converts 30 percent of solar energy into electricity, compared with existing technology that converts only 10 to 15 percent.

This technology captures the solar radiation and concentrates it on a surface that is smaller than the one used in the normal system. This allows for maximum performance from small solar cells.

Based on the performance of this newly established power station, the two companies will establish a larger station with a capacity of 20MW and a base for manufacturing Moroccan-made Concentration Photovoltaic panels.