Table 2
Review of results related to the economic impact of NOOR 1 on the Southern Region.
| Economic impact | Status | Type | Initial state in the region | Impact significance | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial integration and competitiveness | Observed | + | Insignificant | Moderate | Use of local equipment and services for the construction and operation of NOOR1. Launch of new industrial activities such as the production of “torque tubes*”. Strengthening the high-tech capacity of local firms through knowledge collaboration and increased technology in association with foreign firms increases the capacity of local industry. |
| Improvement of activity and economic attractiveness | Observed | + | Insignificant | Moderate | Individual small business development. Very significant training and support are provided, allowing the region's young people to progress, with the necessary guidance and support offered by the regional investment center. Industrial consolidation enables to attract local companies to invest in new production lines and encourages international investors to create local branch offices. |
| Transportation Intensity | Observed | + | Moderate | Strong | Improvement of nearby transport infrastructure facilitated access to the project site Many vehicles (buses, small-buses, cars...) are mobilized to transport thousands of workers every day. |
| Development of regional infrastructure and availability of regional services | Observed | + | Insignificant | Substantial | Carrying out investments for the benefit of the community and the communities concerned thanks to the purchase price of the project land. The investment and potential multiplier effects of NOOR 1 have stimulated socio-economic and regional infrastructure development. Improvement of living conditions in adjacent communities. Drainage and evacuation works for rainwater. Implementation of Telecom networks. |
| Change in Energy Consumption and Production | Anticipate-d | + | Insignificant | Substantial | Good quality of electricity supplied at the peak due to NOOR 1 (CSP) technology. Contribution to domestic energy needs. Ensure the security of electricity supply to the market. Economic competitiveness of the electricity produced by thermodynamic solar energy which can deal with fossil fuels within 10–15 yrs. |
| Improvement of production and consumption of goods and services | Observed | + | Insignificant | Substantial | Increase in the price per square meter in housing. Unprecedented activity in the rental market. Development of infrastructures to ensure housing and food for workers. |
| Improvement of the activities of local businesses | Observed | + | Insignificant | Substantial | Increase in the activity of existing local companies for the supply of materials and equipment necessary for the activity, as well as for the daily maintenance of the equipment. Companies for the assembly of the solar field are created on site. Development of industrial activities in the region via the participation of local small and medium companies in the different services of maintenance, guarding, industrial cleaning. |
| Improvement of agriculture | Observed | + | Insignificant | Moderate | Improved agricultural, environmental, economic and social performance through skills transfer. Development and enhancement of the palm grove in the Ghessate village. Substantial increase in date yields from 10 kg/tree to 100 kg per tree. |
| Technology development | Observed | + | None | Strong | Development of leading national expertise Training of technicians in new RE and non-polluting technologies. Acquisition of expertise by local employees regarding CSP technology in particular. Technology transfer in the field of solar energy |
| Opening up of the territory | Observed | + | Insignificant | Substantial | Improvement of electrification rates in the region's rural, semi-urban areas. To allow access to electric energy to excluded social categories. Reducing the isolation of different communities by developing roads to facilitate the movement of the region's inhabitants. Providing a connection to drinking water and telecom networks. |
| Economic exclusion of small and medium firms | Anticipated | − | None | Moderate | Although the local content requirement was seen as beneficial, many small and medium firms complained that their chances of business opportunities are limited due to their lack of capacity compared to foreign firms and foreign workers more qualified. |
| Improvement of tourism | Anticipated | + | Substantial | Insignificant | Attractiveness of domestic and international tourists who come to discover the facilities of the NOOR 1 project. Possibility of opening the project site to visits by introducing it to the tourist circuit. |
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