Rabat – The IMAL Initiative for Climate and Development, the first climate think tank in North Africa, presented its new report titled “The Potential of Decentralized Renewable Energy Systems in Morocco” on Thursday in Rabat.
In light of costly, imported fossil fuels that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, the development of renewable energies is deemed necessary, in line with the directives of the New Development Model and aimed at fulfilling national commitments to triple installed renewable energy capacity by 2030, IMAL stated in a press release.
The report demonstrates that decentralized renewable energy systems (DRES), particularly rooftop solar combined with storage and electric mobility, represent a significant leverage point for enhancing resilience, competitiveness, and balance in the national electrical system, as well as achieving the Kingdom’s objectives by 2030 and 2050.
Taking advantage of the growth of electric mobility, the document emphasizes that by 2035, Morocco could have 2.5 million electric vehicles, according to estimates from the National Low-Carbon Strategy 2050. These vehicles would represent a storage capacity equivalent to nearly 91% of national electricity demand.
Integrated with rooftop solar, this smart mobility would provide a key contribution to network flexibility, particularly through Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology.
In addition to their climate benefits, DRES could help create around 43,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2035, distributed across the 12 regions of Morocco. Furthermore, this dynamic would enhance national energy solidarity and support inclusive territorial development.
Given these significant economic, social, and environmental benefits, the authors of the report call for a revision of the institutional and regulatory framework to fully integrate decentralized production into the national energy strategy.
To unlock the potential of DRES, they recommend investing in smart grids to enhance system flexibility and security, promoting energy curtailment and smart demand management through dynamic pricing, and operationalizing Law 82-21 on self-generation by 2026.
The report further advocates for the adoption of new building codes incorporating green technologies, the creation of a national fund for DRES integration aimed at supporting households and SMEs, developing electric mobility through the “V2X Morocco” platform (vehicle to everything), and strengthening governance, technical standardization, and institutional coordination for better sector planning.
To contribute to a shared and participatory vision that can unlock the potential of DRES, supported by citizens, businesses, and territories, the IMAL Initiative will present its recommendations regionally, with the support of civil society actors, particularly in collaboration with the Moroccan Alliance for Climate and Sustainable Development, the communiqué concludes.
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