Noor Solar Station
One of the world's largest concentrated solar complexes, where half a million mirrors track the sun across the desert.
Updated 20 October 2026
Noor Ouarzazate was built in phases from 2013 on the flat north of the town and is among the largest concentrated solar power complexes in the world - the first three phases use mirrors to focus sunlight onto a receiver, heating molten salt that drives a turbine, which means the plant can keep generating for hours after dark, unlike photovoltaic panels; the third phase does it with a single tower about 240 metres high surrounded by a field of heliostats, which is visible from a long way off and is the thing you see. A fourth phase is photovoltaic. Total capacity is several hundred megawatts. The site is industrial and secure and is not a visitor attraction: what most people do is look at it from the road, where the tower and the mirror field are legible in the landscape. Arranged visits happen for professional groups. It sits in a country with almost no oil and a great deal of sun.
History
The complex was built in four phases by ACWA Power with the Spanish consortium TSK-Acciona-Sener for the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy, with financing from the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the European Investment Bank, among others. Its concentrated solar plant, at 510 MW with some 2 million mirrors, is the largest of its kind in the world, and the whole site covers over 3,000 hectares (Wikipedia, Ouarzazate Solar Power Station).
What's there
- A 240-metre tower - the third phase's receiver, visible from a long way across the flat.
- Mirror fields - heliostats tracking the sun over several square kilometres.
- Storage in salt - molten salt letting the plant generate for hours after sunset.
- A view from the road - the practical way to see it, since the site is secure.
When to go
October to April; midday when the mirrors are tracking. Two hours.
What to expect
It is a working power station and not open to casual visitors - arranged visits only. What you can do is look from the road. There is no visitor centre. Photographing security infrastructure is not advisable.
Nearby
Ouarzazate is south; Ait Ben Haddou is west.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q15264697, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for Noor Solar Station
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- Loose, light, long clothing - Covering up beats bare skin in the desert - and locals dress this way for a reason. Find on Amazon
- Comfortable walking shoes - Sightseeing means kilometres of pavement and cobbles daily. Find on Amazon
- A wide-brim hat + sunglasses - Shade for your face and eyes where there is none overhead. Find on Amazon
- A slim anti-theft daypack - Zips that close properly; keep it in front in crowds and on transit. Find on Amazon
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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.