Strong Policy Framework Needed for Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)

Many developing countries with sun-baked deserts are investing in concentrated solar power, or CSP.

While the climatic conditions are right for the technology, these countries face challenges in making CSP viable. These include financing and risk mitigation, reducing costs, and building local capacity, among others.

A group of energy policymakers and practitioners from Morocco, Egypt, South Africa and India, as well as officials from financial institutions and European donor agencies, gathered in Marrakesh, Morocco in October 2013 to share experiences on how they manage their utility-scale solar programs.

The South-South Knowledge Exchange Workshop, Strengthening the Solar Energy Option and Utility-Scale Solar Power Development & Management, was co-organized by the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN) and the World Bank under the aegis of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) Initiative. The workshop was also supported by the World Bank Institute and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP).

The two-day workshop, hosted by Mustapha Bakkoury, CEO of MASEN, and also a member of SE4ALL