The molten salt storage tank expansion project at the Noor3 Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant in Morocco, jointly undertaken by SUMEC's Energy Company and Lanpec Technologies Limited (LANPEC), has recently been completed, one month ahead of schedule. 

Mechanical completion of the Noor3 new MST in Morocco [Photo/SUMEC]

As the largest tower CSP project currently in operation in North Africa, the Noor3's molten salt storage system is designed to stably store and transfer heat from approximately 20,000 metric tons of molten salt at temperatures of up to 560 degrees Celsius. The storage tanks must withstand prolonged exposure to ultra-high temperatures, resist fatigue damage and accommodate complex thermal cycling compensation, raising stringent requirements on design, materials and construction.

[Photo/SUMEC]

To address these challenges, SUMEC's Energy Company and LANPEC worked in close coordination. LANPEC, with extensive experience in the design and construction of large-capacity molten salt storage tanks, provided core equipment and advanced technical support. Leveraging its strengths in overseas project management and global resource integration, SUMEC's Energy Company coordinated cross-border logistics, localized construction and compliance with international standards. Through close collaboration across the entire process from design and procurement to construction, the two companies completed the mechanical works with high quality, one month ahead of schedule, laying a solid foundation for the plant's subsequent commissioning. 

At the completion ceremony, the Morocco on-site project manager of ACWA Power, the representative of the project owner, commended the joint team for its technical expertise, management capability and dedication. To thank the project team and mark this significant moment, the owner specially illuminated the solar power tower with "China Red" during the ceremony and displayed the corporate logo of SINOMACH Group.

The solar power tower of molten salt storage tank expansion project at Morocco's Noor3 CSP plant [Photo/SUMEC]

Located in the Noor Ouarzazate Solar Complex in southeastern Morocco, the Noor3 plant has an installed capacity of 150 megawatts and is equipped with a seven-hour molten salt thermal energy storage system. It can deliver around 530 million kWh of clean electricity to the national grid every year, enough to power over 1 million households, while cutting CO2 emissions by 230,000 tons per year.