Morocco has Launched Several Initiatives to Continue Renewable Energies Development, Minister Says

Abu Dhabi – Morocco has launched a series of initiatives to continue the development of renewable energies after the Covid-19 pandemic, said Aziz Rabbah, Minister of Energy, Mining and Environment.

Speaking at the 11th Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) which is being held by videoconference, the minister noted that there have been no significant effects of the pandemic on the sector of renewable energies in Morocco, adding that the planned projects have continued, whether they are wind, solar or hydroelectric projects.

The existing projects have helped to respond in a concrete way to the demand for electric energy, he pointed out during a session on “The strategy of renewable energies after the coronavirus pandemic”.

The new projects in the sector of renewable energies include in particular the programming of an additional capacity of 3880 megawatts from renewable sources during the period 2021-2024, as well as another additional capacity of 5,400 megawatts for the period 2025-2030, in addition to an integrated program aimed at supporting all desalination stations including renewable energy production units, Rabbah added.

These projects, he said, also include a program to supply national industrial zones with renewable energies in order to promote a carbon-free national industrial fabric and to ensure its competitiveness and the flow of its production for export.

It is also about setting up a roadmap for the development of new renewable energy poles, in addition to a national roadmap dedicated to hydrogen energy, he said, noting that studies confirm that Morocco has significant qualifications enabling it to attract around 4% of the international hydrogen energy market.

The Minister stressed that the Kingdom is at the forefront of African countries in terms of expanding renewable energy sources, an area in which he has accumulated significant experience, particularly with regard to financing, development and the implementation of renewable energy projects.

The Kingdom is working, as part of its strategic choice, to strengthen and develop cooperation and partnership relations in the field of energy in general, and renewable energies in particular, with friendly African countries in order to achieve sustainable continental development and remedy the delay in access to electricity at the African level, he said.

Rabbah recalled that HM King Mohammed VI had given his High instructions to revise upwards Morocco’s ambitions in terms of renewable energies, which today play a pivotal role in the development of the world economy.

On the other hand, the minister shed light on the progress made by the Kingdom in energy transition, with in particular 99 renewable energy projects completed or in the development or completion phase, for a total investment of around 103 billion dirhams, adding that there are 34 companies in Morocco, from 12 countries, which work in the development of renewable energy projects and about 600 small companies involved in the marketing and installation of equipment related to renewable energy.

The total capacity of renewable energies currently totals 3,700 megawatts, or a 35% share in the national electricity mix, while its contribution to meeting the demand for electric energy has amounted to around 20%, which has favored a decrease in the energy dependency ratio from 97.5% in 2009 to 90.5% currently, he added.