Energy Transition: Ministry is Looking into Mechanisms Needed to Strengthen Resilience

Rabat – Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, said Friday in Rabat that her department is working on the development of mechanisms to strengthen resilience to crises on the global scene, based on the experiences and recommendations of international bodies.

During an exchange meeting with the media on the energy transition, Benali explained that in order to curb such fluctuations in the future according to a proactive approach, the ministry plans to put in place a comprehensive reform plan encompassing the economy and social support with clear objectives in the long term.

Emphasis will also be placed on the establishment of a comprehensive communication strategy, based on transparency of data, she stressed before national and international media, noting that in the same context, energy efficiency programs will be adopted in a logic of rationalization of consumption.

In the same vein, the ministry will ensure to support the needy categories but also economic activities in vulnerable situations, she added, stressing that the role of relevant institutions will also be consolidated in promoting fair competition in the energy transition sector.

Benali announced, in this regard, that her ministry is working for the creation of the “Council of Energy Security” with the mission to monitor the situation of the national energy sector and take appropriate measures to address the crises. It will also determine the materials likely to enter the composition of the strategic stock and the measures to be taken to ensure the national energy sovereignty.

She recalled that the government has continued its commitment to subsidize butane gas, knowing that the rate of credits allocated for this purpose under the Compensation Fund is up 27.6% compared to last year.

Despite the increase in the price of fuel and coal, two essential materials in the production of electricity, the price of the latter has not increased, said the minister, adding that the purchase of energy and fuel should exceed 25 billion dirhams compared to the year 2021, against the background of rising prices on the international market.

The government has undertaken a diversification of its energy resources by using natural gas as an important energy source, which will help reduce the effect of these fluctuations, without forgetting the development of solar energy for agricultural irrigation.