Rabat – Minister of Energy Aziz Rabbah said on June 30 that the volume of investments of the National Office of Water and Electricity (ONEE) is set to reach MAD 25 billion (€2.29 billion) by 2030.
During comments on the sector at the House of Councillors, Rabbah said the volume of investments will meet the demands of Morocco’s rural areas, as well as the development of transport, and a transition network that “the distribution sector is expected to experience.”
The Ministry of Energy is collaborating with the Ministry of Interior to form regional electricity distribution companies, “with the possibility of integrating the private sector.”
The operation will favor “national companies and granting a share of the actions at ONEE and the autonomous water and electricity distribution boards,” he said.
Rabbah reassured citizens that Morocco’s electricity system is able to provide the needs of the national economy and citizens, emphasizing that the country has a “surplus of electricity and has started to export.”
He said the surplus reached 28% in 2019.
The country’s electricity exports rose by more than 670% between 2018 and 2019. Meanwhile, Morocco’s imports decreased by 93.5%, according to recent data from Morocco’s Exchange Office.
In 2018, Morocco imported 3,700 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity in 2018, for MAD 2.3 billion (about €211 million). The numbers decreased a year later in 2019, when Morocco only imported electricity worth MAD 149 million (around €13.679 million).
The country seeks to achieve self-sufficiency in terms of electricity production.
Morocco aims to have renewable energy constitute 42% of its energy production by the end of this year. The share is expected to increase to 52% in 2030.
Renewable energy projects are still underway with an investment budget of MAD 49 billion in the public and private sectors, Rabbah explained on Tuesday.
He said that the ministry allocated a budget of MAD 52 billion (€57 million) to the investments, stating that the private sector reached MAD 27 billion (€28 million) of investment, while 400 Megawatts are reserved for it.
The minister explained that there are regulations on energy efficiency and energy audit, announcing that eight licenses have been granted to energy audit companies.
Rabbah also announced the amendment of the “law relating to the self-production of electricity for the benefit of renewable energies, as well as the maintenance of the balance between the private and public sectors in the field.”
The minister is full of praise about Morocco’s renewable energy approach, stating that the country has been able to offer electric coverage over 99.5% of its territory in just 20 years.
