6 min
Ibtissam El Assad

OCP Group Advances Decarbonization Strategy with 202 MW Solar Expansion

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH:

Morocco’s OCP Group has reached a pivotal milestone in its transition toward sustainable industrial operations with the commissioning of three major solar power plants. This expansion adds a combined 202 megawatts (MW) of clean energy to the company’s portfolio, marking the successful completion of the first phase of its large-scale renewable energy program. These installations represent a concrete step toward OCP’s stated objective of achieving full carbon neutrality by 2040.

Strategic Infrastructure and Investment

The centerpiece of this rollout is the Ouled Fares facility in Khouribga. With a capacity of 105 MW, it currently stands as the largest operational photovoltaic plant in Morocco. This is supported by two additional sites: a 67 MW facility in Benguerir and a 30 MW installation in Foum Tizi.

The total investment for these three projects reached approximately 1.8 billion Moroccan dirhams ($180 million). By situating these plants within key industrial and mining corridors, OCP has integrated renewable generation directly into the energy supply chain for its global fertilizer production.

Integration with the Green Investment Plan

This initiative is a core component of OCP’s $13 billion Green Investment Plan. The overarching goal of this strategy is to power the entirety of the group’s industrial and mining activities with 100% renewable energy by 2027.

The new solar assets are already providing the total daytime electricity requirements for the Khouribga and Gantour operations. Beyond the environmental benefits of reducing the corporate carbon footprint, the transition to solar power serves to stabilize production costs. This shift is increasingly critical as the global fertilizer market moves toward prioritizing products with verified low-carbon credentials.

Energy Storage and Grid Reliability

To address the inherent intermittency of solar power, OCP has incorporated advanced storage solutions into its infrastructure. At the Benguerir site, a 25 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) has been deployed. This system is designed to store surplus energy generated during peak sunlight hours and discharge it during evening periods of high demand, ensuring a consistent and reliable power supply for continuous industrial processes.

International Collaboration and Future Scaling

The development of these projects has been facilitated by international financial partnerships, including green loans from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and support from Germany’s KfW development bank.

Looking forward, OCP intends to scale its renewable capacity significantly, with a target of 1.2 gigawatts (GW) by 2027 and an eventual goal exceeding 2 GW. This trajectory underscores a broader trend in heavy industry, where large-scale renewable integration is being utilized to meet national energy targets and secure a leadership position in the emerging low-carbon industrial economy.

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