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Cape Town — As Morocco accelerates its transition toward renewable energy, Turkish company Karpowership is positioning itself as a strategic partner to help bridge the country’s energy needs through innovative floating liquified natural gas (LNG) solutions.
Ali Hjaiej, Karpowership’s Vice President of Sales for Africa, outlined the company’s vision for Morocco during an interview with Morocco World News (MWN) on the second day of Africa Energy Forum, which is being held from June 17-20 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Hjaiej explained how floating power generation could complement the North African country’s ambitious green energy goals.
“Morocco is taking a leader place in terms of renewable energy in the region in North and West Africa with huge projects in solar, wind, and wherever,” Hjaiej noted.
However, he stressed that thermal power generation remains “mandatory” to ensure a sustainable energy mix with reliable baseload capacity.
Karpowership operates floating power plants installed on barges, offering what Hjaiej describes as a “plug and play full value chain of LNG to power.”
The company currently serves over 17 countries worldwide, including 10 African nations, and leads energy generation in West Africa with a capacity of more than 1,700 MW.
Hjaiej noted that timing appears strategic for Morocco, which is awaiting the completion of the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline — a major regional infrastructure project designed to supply reliable natural gas to the country — or any other gas projects.
He believes that his company’s floating storage and regasification units (FSRU) are an ideal transition solution for Morocco.
“Some alternatives can be proposed by Karpowership with a floating regasification and storage unit,” he explained. “This can be a bridge solution till the pipeline will be ready for the next years.”
The floating approach offers distinct advantages over traditional infrastructure, according to Hjaiej. Unlike fixed pipelines that tie countries to specific suppliers, LNG solutions provide flexibility to “buy gas from East or the West wherever who can offer the best offer for the country.”
This flexibility aligns with Morocco’s broader energy security strategy. The North African country has been diversifying its energy sources while building one of Africa’s most ambitious renewable energy programs, including massive solar projects like the Noor complex in Ouarzazate.
Karpowership’s technology utilizes high-efficiency combined cycle reciprocating engines capable of running on multiple fuel types, including liquid fuel, natural gas, and LNG. The modular nature of the floating plants allows for rapid deployment and scalable capacity adjustments based on demand.
“The combination of floating solution to deliver gas for the country and the pipeline as a long-term solution can be the best alternatives for Morocco today,” Hjaiej pointed out, focusing on how the approach could provide immediate access to reliable gas while longer-term infrastructure develops.
As Morocco continues balancing its renewable energy leadership with baseload power requirements, Karpowership believes its floating LNG solutions represent a pragmatic approach to energy transition in the country — offering the reliability needed today while supporting Morocco’s green energy vision for tomorrow.
The country has ambitious plans to supply its energy demands from renewable energy, aiming to reach at least 52% of installed energy capacity from renewable energy by 2030, with reports indicating that it has a capacity of 45%.
