Rabat- Djalila Ben Bouchta, a young Moroccan scholar, received the ENI award in the category “Young Talents of Africa” in a ceremony chaired by the Italian President Sergio Mattarella. The Moroccan ambassador to Italy, Youssef Balla also attended the ceremony.
Ben Bouchta’s research, “the development of a multidisciplinary approach to the provision of energy services” promises a more sustainable solution to power electric devices with the broader aim of decarbonizing the energy sector.
The ENI Awards, also known as “Nobel Prize for Energy Research” were awarded for the first time in 1987. The awards’ aim to promote research into environmental issues. The jury includes representatives from various prestigious universities including American Ivy League, Stanford University.
The Awards are offered for outstanding contributions in three categories: The New Frontiers in Hydrocarbons, The Renewable and Non-Conventional Energy, and the Protection of the Environment. The list of ENI awards winners include Nobel Prize winners, Harold W. Kroto and Alan Heeger.
Environmental research is important now more than ever. As of 2020, global electricity was made up of 26% renewable energy. By 2024, the number is expected to reach 30%, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
With global warming predicted to increase and lead to a hotter future, worldwide solar capacity is growing, resulting in a forecasted 35% drop in the cost of renewable energy by 2024, according to the IEA.
In 2021, Morocco invested $5.8 billion (MAD 52.1 billion) in renewable energy projects, making the North African country a national leader in renewable energy in North Africa and the African continent as a whole.
Morocco previously set a target of reaching a national renewable energy dependency of 42% by 2021, and 52% by 2030. Morocco already met its 2020 target and is working its way towards attaining its 2030 target.
