In 1999, a grant of US$ 50 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has been committed to Morocco for a 250 MW ISCC project with 30-50 MW equivalent solar capacity. For the national utility company, Office National de l’Electricité, ONE and GEF, Fichtner Solar GmbH has prepared the Request for Proposals (RfP) with the choice of technology being left to the bidding investors.  After investor’s interest in a merchant Independent Power Project turned out to be zero, the approach was changed to a national utility owned project. In August 2004, industry response to that new RfP concept was high, leading to the pre-qualification of four international consortia. In February 2005, bid preparation documents were submitted to the World Bank for “Non-Objection”. Additional financing has already been committed by the African Development Bank. Early July 2005, the Request for Proposals for the Integrated Solar Combined Cycle Project at Ain Beni Mathar was sent out to the prequalified bidders by the Moroccan Office Nationale D'Electricité (ONE).

In July 2007 the EPC contract has been awarded by ONE to ABENER of the Abengoa group.

The objectives of the Integrated Solar Combined Cycle at Ain Beni Mathar are the following:

• mobilise the renewable energies of the country

• diversify the energy sources for electricity generation,

• master the technology of solar energy with the objective of reducing the electricity cost

• satisfy the increase of the demand of electricity in the country

• insure regional balance " generation - consumption " in the oriental part of the country

• protect environment by reducing the polluting emissions due to the use of solar energy and the natural gas

The main characteristics of the Ain Beni Mathar ISCC are: