Sustainable development: Focus on clean energy

The Sovereign takes stock of the progress of renewable energy projects

Morocco made an early bet on clean energy. A decision that makes Morocco today a leading country not only in Africa but in the whole world. In concrete terms, the Kingdom has been rolling out very ambitious programs for the development of renewable energies for years. Projects that are conducted under the leadership of His Majesty the King. In this sense, the Sovereign chaired in April 2018 a working session dedicated to the review of the progress of renewable energy projects carried by Masen. This working session is part of the regular and regular monitoring by the Sovereign of the implementation of the various milestones of the national energy strategy in the field of renewable energies. During this session, which was attended by the head of government, Mr. Saad Eddine El Othmani, the adviser of His Majesty the King, Yassir Zenagui, the Minister of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development, Aziz Rabbah, the General Director of the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines, Amina Benkhadra and the Director General of the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water, Abderrahim El Hafidi, Mustapha Bakkoury, President of Masen, presented to Sa Majesty the King the forecast commissioning of Noor solar power plants during the year 2018, including Noor Ouarzazate II and Noor Ouarzazate IV will be operational in May 2018, for its part Noor Ouarzazate III will be in the month of October, thus making it possible to finalize the integrated solar complex of Ouarzazate in accordance with the initial commitments. Noor Laayoune I and Noor Boujdour I will be operational during the month of June. The launch schedule for the construction of the first projects of the Integrated Wind Program was also presented as well as the Noor PV II project for a capacity of more than 800 MW and which will be rolled out in several provinces (Layaoune, Boujdour, Taroudant, Kelaa des Sraghna, Khouribga, Lhajeb, Guercif, Sidi Bennour and Jerada), in addition to the large integrated solar complexes to optimize the national technological mix and contribute to broader territorial development. At the end of this meeting, His Majesty the King expressed his satisfaction with the progress made so far on all the components of the National Renewable Energy Plan and gave his High Instructions to maintain and strengthen the mobilization of all the actors to make this sector a real economic engine of the Kingdom. Masen is the spearhead of the Moroccan strategy in the field of clean energies. It produces clean electricity through integrated renewable energy projects. The valorization of these energies aims to make the best use of solar, wind and hydro, to begin with, and any other type of renewable energy that is relevant to the country (such as biomass for example); thanks to the choice of technologies adapted to the identified needs. As the main contributor to national energy goals, Masen pays particular attention to the socio-economic and environmental impact of his projects. Masen's integrated project development programs aim, in particular, to develop additional clean electricity generation capacity of 3,000 MW by 2020 and 6,000 MW by 2030, with the aim of contributing to the national objective, by 2030, of an energy mix of which 52% is of renewable origin. In addition, the national legal framework has been modernized and completed, redistributing the roles of the various actors in the field. The readjustment of the legal framework reflects the evolution of all the institutional, economic, technological and managerial parameters. The definition of Masen's missions is based on three axes, namely the integrated development of renewable energy installations to the best international standards, the contribution to the emergence of national expertise in the field of renewable energies and the territorial development of renewable energies. implantation zones according to a sustainable model involving the economic, the human and the environmental. It should be noted that Masen's missions are intended to be carried on a continental and international scale. Now part of the regional and international chessboard of the renewable energy sector, Masen aims to share all the experience gained since its creation at the service of the integrated development of renewable energies.