Story highlights World's largest concentrated solar power plant opened in 2016

The project could power one million homes

(CNN) Morocco is close to completing the world's largest concentrated solar power farm.

The site near the city of Ouarzazate -- famous as a filming location for Hollywood blockbusters like "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Gladiator" -- aims to produce enough energy to power over one million homes by the end of the year and reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 760,000 tons per year

The first part of a three-phase project of the thermosolar farm was officially turned on in 2016 by His Majesty Mohammed VI of Morocco.

Africa has tremendous potential for solar generation that remains largely untapped. Sameh Mobarek, World Bank project manager

"It's been operational since 2016. The final two are under construction and are in the final stages and should be fully operational by the end of this year," Moez Cherif, Lead Energy Economist for the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region for the World Bank, told CNN.

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