Morocco has postponed the inauguration of a solar power plant, Noor 1 in Ouarzazate, which was due to be opened at the end of December, without stating reasons for the last-minute delay, The Guardian reported.

With an electricity production capacity of 160MW, Noor 1 is expected to significantly reduce country’s emissions of greenhouse gases by 240,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year, according to the Energy Ministry’s estimates, The Rayak Post wrote.

The project’s next phases – Noor 2 and Noor 3 – are planned to start in 2016 and 2017, and a call for tenders is open for Noor 4 as well. Once completed, the Noor solar plant with its overall capacity of 580MW, covering an area of estimated 30 sq km, will become “the largest solar power production facility in the world”, its developers say.

Meanwhile, Morocco has launched several big projects in the renewable sector. The national energy strategy is targeting to raise the share of renewable energy to 42% of the total installed capacity in the country by 2020, with solar, wind, and hydro each contributing 14%, according to SeeNews.