The Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, stated on Tuesday at the House of Representatives that her Department will continue its actions in 2025 to accelerate the development of renewable energy projects.
Presenting the sectoral budget project of the ministry before the Commission on Basic Infrastructure, Energy, Mines, and the Environment, Ms. Benali emphasized that the acceleration and development process concerns renewable energy projects through the exploitation of an additional capacity of approximately 750 megawatts from clean sources, as well as the granting of licenses for an additional electrical capacity of about 315 megawatts from renewable sources.
Furthermore, it involves accelerating the implementation of the “Noor Midelt” solar power plant project scheduled for 2027, as well as other scheduled projects, including the “photovoltaic solar” project developed by the OCP Group and the “Noor Atlas” photovoltaic solar program, she noted.
The minister highlighted the electricity production projects, noting that 9,614 megawatts, valued at 87.9 billion dirhams (MMDH), are planned for the year 2027 as part of a national green equipment plan.
She indicated that her Department will support the electrical network for energy transition while strengthening the regional integration of electrical networks through the consolidation of investments in electrical transport, aiming for optimal integration of renewable energies, connecting the South to the Center via a 3-gigawatt line.
She also highlighted the qualitative experience aimed at encouraging energy consumption savings, which has led to a 40% reduction in consumption.
Focusing on the programs and projects completed or planned in the field of energy efficiency, Ms. Benali emphasized the launch of the energy efficiency support program (2022-2026), with the support of international cooperation, with a budget envelope of 200 million dirhams (MDH), targeting the construction, industry, and public lighting sectors, as well as the continuation of the implementation of the energy rehabilitation program for mosques, which has rehabilitated more than 6,000 mosques nationwide, thus saving at least 40%.
According to the minister, a measurement, monitoring, and verification (MRV) system is also being developed to pursue and monitor energy efficiency at the national level, which will allow for the evaluation of energy efficiency programs and projects across all vital sectors of the national economy.
Among these projects, she continued, are the training of 800 national and African stakeholders in the field of energy efficiency and decarbonization in energy-intensive sectors, as well as the provision of technical support to numerous public institutions to implement projects aimed at enhancing the energy efficiency of their transport fleets.
Regarding the prospects for hydrocarbon and mineral exploration, Ms. Benali indicated that the 2025 action program within the (2025-2027) plan includes four projects for the exploration of conventional hydrocarbons, one project for the exploration of unconventional hydrocarbons, in addition to another project aimed at determining the extension of the Atlantic continental shelf.
Moreover, the minister emphasized supporting the implementation of projects programmed by individuals to achieve additional storage capacities, noting that since the beginning of the government mandate, the exploitation of new storage capacities has exceeded one million cubic meters with an investment of approximately 2.8 billion dirhams, as well as the completion of the realization of projects programmed by individuals by the end of 2024, aiming to increase storage capacity by 69,000 cubic meters with an investment of about 204 million dirhams.
She revealed, in this regard, that an additional storage capacity of approximately 470,000 cubic meters will be realized during the years 2025-2026, with an investment of around 1.7 billion dirhams.
Concerning the new vision for the development of mining industries, she emphasized that the ministry will work to integrate mining policy within the national strategy dedicated to industrial development, increase investments in this area, particularly in research, in addition to developing a resilient mining sector and establishing a strategy that strengthens Morocco’s regional and continental positioning in this field.
As for sustainable development programs, Ms. Benali highlighted integrated waste management and the promotion of the circular economy, mentioning the international cooperation program and the continuous strengthening of African cooperation, particularly the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project, the initiative aimed at facilitating access for Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean, and the search for new opportunities for bilateral and multilateral cooperation, in order to support the implementation of national programs in the fields of energy transition and sustainable development.