Envision Energy has energised a 25MW/125MWh lithium iron phosphate battery energy storage system at OCP Group’s Benguerir phosphate mining site in Morocco.
The five-hour system, described by OCP as Morocco’s first large-scale LFP battery installation, is undergoing performance testing ahead of commercial operation.
OCP Green Energy awarded Envision the contract to supply and commission the system in late 2025. Envision also integrated the BESS with the mine’s existing solar generation, local grid conditions and industrial load.
The battery will store surplus solar electricity generated during the day and discharge during periods of peak demand. OCP expects this to cut the industrial site’s electricity bill by about 25% during peak hours.
It will also smooth fluctuations in photovoltaic output and support continuity of supply to the mine. The system is capable of providing ancillary grid services including frequency regulation and reactive power compensation.
Morocco’s first large-scale LFP battery installation
“The successful energisation of Morocco’s first large-scale battery storage project demonstrates the reliability, flexibility and cost-effectiveness of integrated renewable-plus-storage solutions in industrial applications,” said John Lee, general manager of Envision Energy for the Middle East and Africa.
Lee said Envision was proud to participate in the project and contribute its technology to Morocco’s energy transition.
The BESS is coupled with OCP Green Energy’s 67MWp Benguerir solar plant. That installation forms part of the company’s initial 202MWp photovoltaic programme, which also includes 30MWp at Foum Tizi and 105MWp at Oulad Farès in Khouribga.
The battery system is designed to complete one charge-and-discharge cycle per day and has an estimated operating life of 25 years. OCP said it selected LFP chemistry for its safety, thermal stability and longevity.
OCP put the total investment at close to MAD170 million ($18 million). This covered the batteries and other BESS equipment, civil and electrical engineering, system integration, studies and project management. OCP said the integration work was carried out using Moroccan expertise.
The project also benefits from $20 million of financing from the Clean Technology Fund through the African Development Bank.
Omar Kadir, general manager of OCP Green Energy, said: “As we announced last year when our first solar PV projects were commissioned, storage is the natural extension of our energy strategy.”
He said storage would help match variable renewable generation with the continuous demand from OCP’s industrial operations, improve supply reliability and support greater integration of renewables into Morocco’s electricity system.
The project forms part of OCP Green Energy’s plan to meet all of its parent group’s electricity requirements with clean energy.
OCP Group and Mohammed VI Polytechnic University are also developing LFP cathode materials from phosphoric acid. OCP said the research had produced proprietary materials and manufacturing processes that were being scaled towards industrial production as part of plans for a Moroccan LFP battery value chain.
