Rabat – Morocco’s National Office for Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) presented its 2019-2023 ambitions at its board of directors meeting in Rabat, in the presence of the Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani.
The ONEE’s strategy is designed to improve access to electricity and drinking water across Morocco, the General Manager of ONEE Abderrahim El Hafidi stated in a press release.
MAD 8.6 billion will go towards electricity production projects generating up to 4.262 MW. In accordance with Morocco’s renewable energy goals, 4.240 MW of this power will be generated from solar, hydroelectric and wind power. Morocco intends to produce 52% renewable energy by 2050.
In addition to the renewable projects, ONEE announced its intention to oversee the completion of the Dakhla diesel power station projects (22MW) and the Abdelmoumen pumped-storage hydroelectricity station (350 MW) by 2023.
French construction company Vinci won the tender for the MAD 3 billion Abdelmoumen station in January 2018. Construction work for the project began in October last year.
Finnish corporation Wartsila won the tender for the Dakhla power station project in August 2017, but construction on the project has to this date not yet commenced.
By 2023, ONEE also intends to invest MAD 8.7 billion in regional integration projects. ONEE is evaluating the feasibility of infrastructure connection projects with Mauritania and Portugal.
Read also: Moroccan Government Launches Development Projects in Western Sahara
The General Director of ONEE met with the General Director of the Mauritanian electricity body Somelec in December 2018 to discuss interconnection strategies, but until now no agreement has been signed.
ONEE will also invest MAD 5.2 billion towards reinforcing access to electricity in rural areas, and extend distribution of electricity to 30,900 households across Morocco.
Water
ONEE is responsible for the delivery of drinking water across Morocco, and has pledged to invest MAD 25.5 billion to this end.
MAD 15.2 million will go towards improving access to water in urban areas, including the construction of 3400 km of new water pipes.
MAD 4.6 billion will go towards reinforcing water treatment, through the construction of 64 new treatment plants by 2023.
ONEE will also invest MAD 5.7 billion towards improving access to drinking water in rural areas to 99.3%. The latest ONEE figures show 96.6% of households had access to safe drinking water in 2017.
Last week the French Development Agency (AFD) lent ONEE MAD 536 million towards a program to improve access to safe drinking water in Morocco’s northern provinces of Al Hoceima, Driouch, Nador, and Taounate. The AFD has now lent approximately MAD 1 billion to ONEE for this program since December 2018.
