World Power-to-X Summit: IRENA, UNIDO Laud Morocco’s Leadership in Energy Transition

Marrakech – The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) hailed, on Wednesday in Marrakech, Morocco’s leadership in renewable energy and energy transition.

“Morocco, a member of ARENA since 2015, is a leader in the Middle East and North Africa region in the development of renewable energy,” said Director-General of IRENA, Francesco La Camera, in an address by video conference on the occasion of the second edition of the “World Power-to-X Summit” (PTX22) (June 22 to 24).

Highlighting the excellent relations between Morocco and IRENA, crowned last year by the signing of a strategic agreement to deepen knowledge on renewable energy and accelerate the energy transition in a socially and economically sustainable manner, La Camera said the Kingdom was behind the initiative of creating the Coalition for Sustainable Energy Access, focused on universal access to energy through massive use of clean energy.

“There is an urgent need for decarbonized fuels worldwide, and Morocco has a distinctive advantage because of its potential production of low-cost eFuels in the Middle East and North Africa region,” he noted, adding that Morocco “has the potential to become a leader in green hydrogen exports, offering an opportunity to decarbonize its own economy and increase its national energy security, while ending dependence on fossil fuels and energy imports.

In an address by video conference, Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Gerd Müller, stressed for his part that Morocco has achieved in recent years, remarkable progress in the areas of industrialization, energy transition and agribusiness, welcoming the cooperation and friendship of long standing between the UN organization and the Kingdom.

“Morocco is very vulnerable to climate change, but it has a renewable energy potential essential for the industries of the future,” he noted, calling for synergies between the various actors of the ecosystem to take advantage of the knowledge and advanced technologies currently available in the field of green hydrogen.

“The Moroccan government has set an ambitious goal to increase the share of renewable energy to 50% by 2030, and green hydrogen is part of this ambition,” said Müller, expressing confidence that Morocco “will become a leader in the global hydrogen market”.