Rabat – The National Office for Electricity and Potable Water (ONEE) has registered a net profit of over MAD 2 billion ( over $225 million) in 2020.
ONEE presented the data during its board of directors chaired by Minister of Energy Aziz Rabbah. The event took place on July 27 in Rabat.
The board devoted the session to the performance evaluation report of achievements recorded in the 2020 financial year.
Director-General of ONEE, Abderrahim El Hafidi, emphasized that the office achieved positive net results for the 5th consecutive year.
Like Hafidi, all of ONEE executives highlighted the key development recorded within the office, guaranteeing services of electricity and drinking water.
ONEE is also satisfied with its work in terms of liquid sanitation in the cities and centers where it operates.
Additionally, EL Hafidi used the occasion to highlight ONEE’S “efforts in terms of good governance, and the realization of the high royal guidelines in terms of promoting renewable energies, energy efficiency and water policy and environmental preservation,” a statement from the office said.
The achievement, according to the same source, allowed Morocco to secure an “important place” both at a continental and international level in the renewable and environmental sectors.
Morocco aspires to become self-sufficient in electricity production in the long term.
In the last decade, the country invested around $5.8 billion (MAD 52 billion).
Morocco, which is planning to invest the same budget in the upcoming years, seeks to produce more than 52% of its electricity from renewable resources by 2030.
The Ministry of Energy also expressed pride that ONEE was exceeding citizens’ expectations and achievements, including the continuous supply of electricity, drinking water, as well as support for socio-economic development despite the COVID-19 crisis.
Minister Aziz Rabbah underlined the importance of supporting changes in the electricity system, recalling that ONEE is increasingly digitizing its processes and tools, particularly in the transportation and distribution sectors.
El Hafidi thanked the members of the Council for their “permanent assistance and support” to allow the company to accomplish its missions under the “best conditions of sustainability, cost and sustainability of the service.”
Achievements overview
In 2020, ONEE’s overall investment budget reached MAD 8.3 billion, including MAD 3.6 billion for electrical activity and MAD 4.7 billion for the drinking water and liquid sanitation business.
Regarding the electricity industry, national electricity demand reached 38,372-gigawatt hours at the end of 2020.
The number represents a decrease of 1.2% compared to the achievements recorded in 2019. ONEE attributed the change to the crisis linked to COVID-19 and its economic impacts.
Meanwhile, Installed electrical capacity reached 10,627 megawatts, with a significant portion of renewable energies (RE).
In terms of generalization of access to electricity in rural areas, the rural electrification rate recorded 99.78% at the end of 2020.
The project enabled the access of electricity to 13 million Moroccans, for a total investment of MAD 24.65 billion or $2.77 billion.
With regard to the water and sanitation activity, ONEE’s production stood at the end of 2020 at 1,257 cubic millimeters (mm3).
The rate of access to drinking water in rural areas increased to 97.8% at the end of 2020, which enables the distribution of water to 13 million people. The project requires an investment budget of MAD 16.65 billion ($1.87 billion).
Morocco built seven new wastewater treatment plans in 2020, with an additional overflow of 7,024 m3/d.
The project brought the connection rate to the public sanitation network to 90 % and the rate of wastewater decontamination at 82%.
