Moreover, technically, the existence of the electrical interconnection with Spain will facilitate transactions between Morocco and Europe generally. Also, from a regulatory point of view, Moroccan law permits the exportation of green electrons. Further, a pilot project to test the economic and legal feasibility of their exportation to Europe is underway. From an industrial perspective, the creation of a dedicated space, notably the Kyoto Parc de Nador, to receive investment in clean energy, comes from the will of the public authorities to give substance to the national solar plan.

Evidently, the platforms favouring exchanges of energy supply, particularly of electricity, between the north and south coasts of the Mediterranean multiply more each day. The most prominent is without doubt the Transgreen underwater network, intended to supply Europe with electricity produced by Saharan solar energy. This project aims to create a large consortium of businesses to fulfil the objective of this plan, namely to create an additional capacity to produce, essentially solar, electricity in Mediterranean countries to a total of 20 gigawatts by 2020, of which 5GW will be intended to supply Europe. As such, the Transgreen project, initiated by France and presented to the meeting of the Energy Ministers of the 43 countries of the Union on 25 May last in Cairo (Egypt), is significant. It is noteworthy that Transgreen also echoes the Desertec projects. In addition inscribing itself into the global philosophy of the Mediterranean Solar Plan, the goal of the project is to create a vast network of production facilities for renewable energy by 2050. The objective of the European Union is among others to fill 15% of the demand for electricity consumption in Europe but also the growing need of the Maghreb and Middle East populations for energy and water (desalination plants run on solar energy)

Solar energy: Morocco leads the way

The Moroccan Solar Plan clearly aims to place the kingdom in the position of leader of the region in renewable energy matters. By 2020 an installed capacity of 2,000 MW on 10,000 hectares of solar installations spread over 5 sites of which 500 MW at Ouarzazate. The Moroccan Solar Plan will be one of the largest solar energy projects in the world with a production of 4,500 MW. This will eventually cover 18% of the national consumption. The cost of the project is estimated at $9m. The Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN) is responsible for seeing the project through.


 

Morocco Newsline