Morocco has allocated nearly MAD 30 billion for investments in the national electricity transmission network for the 2024-2030 period, excluding a high-voltage electricity link project between southern and central Morocco, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, announced on Monday in Rabat.
In response to questions at a session at the Upper House regarding “the strategy for the development and promotion of investments in clean energy,” Benali highlighted that, for the first time, the private sector will have the opportunity to invest in the electricity network “when necessary.”
The minister noted that several renewable energy projects with a combined capacity of over 2,000 megawatts (MW) were authorized during the current government’s mid-term. These projects, totaling investments of more than MAD 19 billion, are expected to create over 300 direct jobs and thousands more indirect jobs.
“Strategic measures have been taken to reduce energy costs, particularly by improving energy sector governance,” she added. “This includes establishing an institutional framework to support sector challenges, as demonstrated by the comprehensive reform of the National Electricity Regulatory Authority (ANRE), which has expanded its scope to cover all energy sector components. “
According to the minister, the separation of accounting functions for production, transmission, and distribution activities within the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) has been accelerated, along with investments in electricity networks.
One of the significant measures is the investment surge in renewable energy, with the country’s installed electrical capacity reaching 5.4 gigawatts (GW). The minister noted that operational renewable energy projects now contribute to covering nearly one-fifth of the national electricity demand.
Over 9 GW of additional renewable energy capacity has been planned for 2023-2027, with a budget of nearly MAD 90 billion. The pace of renewable energy investments has more than quadrupled annually and will be further intensified to exceed set objectives.
Benali also pointed out that her department has made significant strides during the current government’s mandate, A special focus has been placed on reducing processing times for most procedures and digitizing them to ensure greater transparency. The minister highlighted that 42 investment-related decisions, including those for renewable energy projects, were made within 30 days.
An adequate regulatory and institutional framework and an integrated infrastructure program have been implemented to ensure efficient management of the energy transition.