Morocco is testing floating solar panels on a major reservoir near Tangier to reduce water evaporation and generate green energy, to power the nearby Tanger Med port complex while tackling the kingdom’s worst drought in decades, South China Morning Post reported.
Authorities installed more than 400 floating platforms since late last year, covering parts of the reservoir’s surface. The “floatovoltaic” panels protect water from the sun and produce electricity simultaneously. Once the project reaches 22,000 panels over 10 hectares, it will generate about 13 megawatts, enough to supply the port.
Water Ministry official Yassine Wahbi said the Tangier reservoir loses roughly 3,000 cubic meters of water daily to evaporation, more than twice as much in summer, RFI reported. The floating panels can reduce evaporation by around 30%. Officials called the reduction modest but meaningful in a context of scarce water resources.
Morocco’s reservoirs have fallen to roughly one-third of capacity due to rising temperatures, declining rainfall, and evaporation. Official figures show the kingdom lost the equivalent of more than 600 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water per day between October 2022 and September 2023.
Rain-fed water reserves dropped nearly 75% over the past decade, from an average of 18 billion cubic meters in the 1980s to only 5 billion today.
Climate science professor Mohammed-Said Karrouk described the project as “pioneering” but noted the reservoir’s large, irregular surface limits full coverage. Authorities also plan to plant trees along the banks to reduce wind-driven evaporation.
Morocco has relied mainly on desalination to address shortages, producing 320 million cubic meters annually, with plans to expand to 1.7 billion cubic meters by 2030. Karrouk called for urgent transfer of surplus water from northern dams to central and southern regions. The kingdom already operates a 67-kilometer “water highway” linking the Sebou basin to Rabat and plans to expand it to other dams.
Similar floating solar technology is being tested in France, Indonesia, and Thailand, while China operates some of the world’s largest floating solar farms. Morocco is assessing two additional projects at Oued El Makhazine and Lalla Takerkoust dams.
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