Rabat – Leila Benali, Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development has said that Morocco has over 60 renewable energy projects under development or being produced in partnership with foreign collaborators.
The minister made the announcement during her participation on a panel that discussed clean energy last week. The panel was part of Dialogues MED 2021.
During her virtual participation, the Moroccan minister announced that 50 renewable energy projects are already operational in Morocco.
After citing Morocco’s significant interest in the field, Benali emphasized the country’s aim to boost regional and international cooperation to achieve sustainable development goals.
She also insisted on the need to reinforce infrastructure to achieve the expected energy transition.
“The return on invested capital must be important, which is why we are emphasizing the role of the national and international private sector,” she said.
Morocco sees a good future for the renewable energy sector. The Moroccan government consistently stresses its goal of producing over 52% of electricity from renewable energy by 2030.
Earlier this year, the government showed that the installed capacity of renewable energy sources in Morocco amounts to 3,950 ùmegawatts (MW).
The number represents about 37% of the total installed electric power, or 20% of the country’s electricity demand, former Minister of Energy Aziz Rabbah announced in February.
The panel served as a space that allowed participants to put the spotlight on climate challenges, including rising temperatures.
The participants agreed that the Middle East and North Africa are “the most vulnerable regions in the world when it comes to climate change.”
Due to increasing temperatures, and other factors such as water stress and predicted sea level rise, the consequences of climate change threaten human and economic development of the region.
The participants warned that the fight against global warming is crucial to ensure the security and prosperity of the region.
“The energy transition opens up important opportunities for economic cooperation and partnerships in the wider Mediterranean area,” the participants added, calling for shared responsibility to address challenges in the sector.
