Morocco’s implemented renewable energy capacity was at an all-time high of 3.69 GW at the end of 2022, ranking only second behind Israel (4.8 GW) and ahead of the United Arab Emirates (3.64 GW), according to a report by “MEES,” an agency under the US Energy Information Administration that analyzes energy statistics in the MENA region. Broken down, this 3.69 GW was made up of 1.55 GW from wind, 0.83 GW from solar, and 1.31 GW from hydropower, excluding pumped storage.
Globally, renewable energy amounted to a record 34.8% of energy production at the end of last year. The proportion of renewable energy used just in Morocco’s manufacturing sector is now at a record 22.5%, according to the report.
In contrast to its implemented capacity, Morocco’s total installed capacity was 10.59 GW at the end of 2022. The 87 MW Taza wind farm developed by EDF Renewables of France and Mitsui of Japan had expanded its capacity slightly.
Notwithstanding this modest capacity growth, the country is investing heavily in transmission infrastructure and pump-accumulated hydroelectricity to offset the intermittent usage of renewable energy. A second plant is being built at the Abdelmoumen dam, 50 kilometers northeast of Agadir, with an anticipated capacity of 350 MW.
A new 300 MW wind farm has started full commercial operations in Boujdour, according to ONEE. This wind farm, the kingdom’s ninth largest, has a total wind capacity of 1.85 GW. It is part of a joint 850 MW wind power project planned by Morocco’s Nareva and Italy’s Enel.
Despite its significant investment in renewable energy, Morocco still faces enormous challenges, namely, the best locations for power generation plants are frequently far from population centers, necessitating massive investments for transmission.