Morocco’s Share of Renewable Energies Continues to Increase

Abdellatif Bardach, President of Morocco’s National Electricity Regulatory Authority (ANRE), has said that Morocco’s installed capacity of renewable energy increased significantly from 1,221 MW in 2000 to 4,067 MW in 2021.

Casablanca – Abdellatif Bardach, President of Morocco’s National Electricity Regulatory Authority (ANRE), has said that Morocco’s installed capacity of renewable energy increased significantly from 1,221 MW in 2000 to 4,067 MW in 2021.

Presenting yesterday ANRE’s annual report before the Moroccan Parliament’s Committee on Infrastructure, Energy, Mining and Environment, Bardach explained that this increase is due to the adoption of various renewable energy sources, such as the wind farm in Oualidia (36 MW), the solar power plants in Zagora and Missour (40×2 MW), and the reopening of part of Kenitra’s thermal power plant (75×3 MW).

Compared to 2020, the ANRE president said, Morocco’s national electricity mix has seen the construction of three facilities in 2021, notably the wind farm in Oualidia and solar power plants in Zagora and Missour.

In 2021, renewable power plants supplied 7,972.8 GW/h to the share of “injected” electric energy, up from 7,278.8 GW/h in 2020, a +9.5% yearly rise, Bardach added, noting that renewable energy accounted for 19.1% of total energy injected into the national transmission system in 2021, up from 18.5% in 2020.

The ANRE president further highlighted that renewable energy accounted for 19.5% of Morocco’s electricity mix, with imports via interconnection lines between the North African country and Spain accounting for 1.6% of the “injected energy.”

Coal-fired power plants continue to dominate Morocco’s energy scene, accounting for 67.6% of overall output, which is supplemented by 2.6% of diesel and 8.3% of gas, the ANRE head noted, stressing that the share of thermal energy exceeded 78% of overall production in 2021.

Bardach further reported that Morocco’s overall energy demand in 2021 climbed by about 6% over the previous year and nearly 4.3% over 2019. The country’s demand reached a maximum of 133.74 GW/h on July 12, 2021, a difference of roughly 6% from the previous year, he noted.