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Join on Telegram Rabat – Electricity consumption rose by 4.5 percent at the end of 2017, up by 1.9 percent recorded at the end of 2016, amounting for the largest increase in five years.
This growth is mainly due to the country’s socio-economic development, including infrastructure projects, programs to increase access to electricity and drinking water in rural areas and sector strategies.
Coping with the increased demand, the production of electrical energy improved by 3.4 percent at the end of 2017, following a rise of 3.1 percent in 2016, according to figures published by the Department of Studies and Financial Forecasts (DEPF), under the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
This increase was due to the good performance of the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) which rose by 3.4 percent.
Private production also increased by 2.4 percent in 2017. This upward trend was also recorded in the volume of imports from Spain, which also increased at a rate of 14.5 percent.
As a result, net energy demand rose 5.1 percent last year, after rising 2.9 percent a year earlier. This is apparent from
According to the DEPF, this trend is due to the strengthening of sales of very high, medium and high voltage energy by 5 percent, compared to 1.2 percent a year earlier, according to the same source.
Similarly, the consumption of low-voltage energy, mainly in households, improved by 3 percent at the end of 2017.
In terms of prices, the year 2017 saw increases that affected several cities, mainly Casablanca, Tangier and Jerada.
Lydec, the company managing water, electricity and sanitation in Casablanca, raised electricity prices in the city early 2017. It has also to create an exemption for the city’s most vulnerable citizens.
Lydec explained that this sudden rise of prices has been by the Delegated Management Committee, which reports to City Council and abides by the 2014 contract signed between the ONEE and the State.
