OCP deploys 25 MW/125 MWh LFP battery at Moroccan phosphate mine

Moroccan phosphate producer OCP has built an LFP battery energy storage system (BESS) at its Benguerir mining site in Rehamna province, central Morocco. The system has a power rating of 25 MW and an energy capacity of 125 MWh, with an investment of MAD 170 million ($18 million).

The batteries were supplied by Envision. OCP said the equipment order, placed in the fourth quarter of 2025, was made before new pressures emerged in global battery supply chains, allowing it to secure low investment costs. The company did not disclose the system’s detailed cost or installed cost per MWh.

The Benguerir storage system has been energized and is entering a testing and progressive commissioning phase.

The battery is coupled with the existing 67 MWp solar plant at the Benguerir site. It will store some of the solar electricity generated during the day and discharge it during periods of higher demand at the industrial facilities. The objective is to increase the share of solar generation used by the site and reduce electricity purchases during peak hours.

Since 2023, OCP, which specializes in the extraction, processing and commercialization of phosphate and phosphate derivatives including fertilizers, has been developing solar plants to supply its mining and industrial operations. OCP Green Energy has commissioned an initial 202 MWp tranche, comprising 67 MWp at Benguerir, 30 MWp at Foum Tizi and 105 MWp at Oulad Farès in Khouribga.

OCP’s solar program is being implemented by OCP Green Energy SA, a wholly owned subsidiary established in 2022 to develop the group’s renewable electricity generation and storage activities. It forms part of OCP’s $13 billion green investment plan for 2023-27. The group aims to progressively meet its electricity needs with low-carbon sources while developing green ammonia and hydrogen production.

The deployment is supported by two €100 million green loans from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) agreed in 2023. The first, announced in April 2023, financed the construction of four solar PV plants with a combined capacity of 202 MWp at Benguerir and Khouribga.

The second, signed in October 2023, co-finances two additional 400 MW solar plants, also at the Benguerir and Khouribga sites. The latter agreement also provides for the development of up to 100 MWh of battery storage to absorb and smooth solar generation.

The interest from international investors reflects the importance of Benguerir and Khouribga to Morocco’s phosphate industry. The two cities are home to major phosphate reserves, while their mining and processing operations are important to the global phosphate fertilizer industry, particularly amid disruptions to fertilizer markets since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and recurring geopolitical risks affecting maritime routes and energy supplies.

From pv magazine France