Morocco Ready to Set up Center of Excellence on Energy Efficiency with IEA (Minister)

Paris – Minister of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development, Aziz Rebbah, expressed here on Thursday Morocco’s readiness to set up, with the International Energy Agency (IEA), a center of excellence on energy efficiency in favor of developing countries, particularly in Africa.

Speaking at an international conference organized by the IEA on energy efficiency, Rebbah said that the Kingdom is willing to share its experience, particularly in the electrification of rural areas.

Rebbah noted that Morocco’s cooperation with other countries in the energy field led to the launch of many projects, including interconnection with Europe via Spain.

The minister also gave an overview of the Moroccan experience in energy efficiency and the evolution of the sector thanks to the vision of HM King Mohammed VI.

Morocco’s National Sustainable Development Strategy is a proactive strategy aimed at securing the supply for the domestic market as well as access to electricity, achieving the gradual transition to the green economy and reducing energy bills and dependency, the minister added.

Morocco has raised its National Energy Efficiency Strategy to 52% for 2030, he pointed out, noting that energy efficiency involves several fields, including transport, construction, industry and agriculture.

Morocco and the International Energy Agency (IEA) signed, on Wednesday in Paris, a three-year program of action in order to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy security, renewable energies, energy efficiency, capacity building and statistics.

Morocco became the first country in the MENA region to benefit from the IEA associate membership status, which enables the Agency to open up to emerging economies.