Morocco has been engaged for many years in the trajectory of energy transition, thus making renewable energies a clean alternative to fossil fuels, able to reduce Morocco’s energy dependence and boost national electricity production.
325 villages in the kingdom have also been connected to the national electricity grid, thanks to clean energies. This was announced by the Minister for Energy Transition, Leila Benali, during the presentation of the draft sub-budget, before the productive sectors commission of the Chamber of Councillors.
Securing the supply of energy, particularly electricity, a major issue placed at the center of Morocco’s concerns. Indeed, as part of the implementation of the far-sighted vision of King Mohammed VI, the government has put in place an ambitious energy strategy which aims to achieve, by 2030, a 52% share of electricity production at basis of renewable energies.
An objective set with a view to accelerating the kingdom’s energy transition, which is no longer an ambition but an unavoidable condition or even an imperative to enable Morocco to reduce its inflated energy bill due to the multifaceted crises that have arisen over the past last two years. Russo-Ukrainian war, health crisis… It was a combination of circumstances that gave rise to a harsh economic situation marked by galloping inflation that had a strong impact on the world market for imported energy materials.
In this regard, the President of the National Federation of Electricity, Electronics and Renewable Energies (Fenelec), Ali El Harti, emphasized the strong potential available to Morocco in terms of clean energies, emphasizing, moreover, the need to take advantage of this to cover not only national demand, but also that of other countries.
“There is a real opportunity for the Kingdom. Morocco can, today, become a green powerhouse for European markets, especially since they have a real obligation to go green,” he explained.
Noting, in this sense, that several European countries have expressed their willingness to consolidate their energy partnership with Morocco. The Belgian Minister for Energy, Ms Tinne Van Der Straeten, clearly underlined this during the “World Power-to-X Summit”, held from 22 to 24 June 2022 in Marrakech.
“We can realize the dream of building a ‘zero carbon’ society if we work hand in hand.” Emphasizing, moreover, the important prospects for cooperation in the field of renewable energies between the different parts of the ecosystem in the European and African continents.
Electrification rurale : 262 million dirhams mobilized
The Minister, Leila Benali, also indicated that a capacity of approximately 203 megawatts was exploited from renewable energy resources during the year 2022, thus allowing the electricity coverage of 325 villages, or 7 451 accommodations. The project to connect to the national electricity network has thus brought the rural electrification rate to 99.83% while mobilizing an envelope of approximately 262 million dirhams.
It should be noted in this regard that the government is also betting on a rural electrification rate equivalent to 99.92%. And this by connecting 200 villages, or 4,778 homes, to electricity. Something that will require a total investment of about 129 million dirhams.
1.417 megawatts of additional electrical capacity by 2023
With a view to accelerating the kingdom’s energy transition, other new projects will be put in place while focusing on the wind energy project in the city of Oualidia, with a capacity of approximately 36 megawatts. , as well as that of Taza, of about 87 megawatts. And this, in order to increase the national production of electricity.
In this sense, the Minister indicated that it is planned to produce an electrical capacity of approximately 1.417 megawatts additional, by 2023, in addition to that produced by the development projects of renewable energies carried out after the adoption of the draft n ° 82.21 relating to production. Knowing that the electrical capacity established from renewable sources reaches approximately 4 GW.