Morocco, having developed a solid green energy ecosystem, could play an important role in Europe’s energy transition, the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) notes.
In a study on “renewable energy and electric interconnection megaprojects in North Africa,” conducted with the European Union’s support, the think-tank states that in the entire region, Morocco has developed a solid green energy ecosystem, integrating renewable energy production, green ammonia and, soon, manufacturing EV batteries.
"Projects such as the Noor solar plant play a central role in this ecosystem", the Institute says, adding that Morocco’s future renewable energy exports, particularly green hydrogen and green ammonia, are set to play an important role in Europe’s current and future energy transition.
While North African governments are struggling to “foster relations with private investors (in renewable energy) and create a legal and regulatory framework, the Kingdom is amassing achievements", the study’s authors highlight.
According to the researchers, Morocco’s success could be attributed to “its capacity to align renewable energy projects with the needs of local industry and the international market’s needs, thus creating a green energy ecosystem.”
Morocco is also an exception in North Africa, a region suffering from a shortage of renewable energy infrastructure, notes the think-tank, recalling that in 2022, the Kingdom was ranked by Ernst & Young as the most attractive market for investment in the renewable energy sector.
Having anchored renewable energy production in the agri-food and fertilizer sectors, Morocco now plans to use renewable energy in industrial manufacturing and mining, with a focus on the production of electric vehicles and metals for batteries, the researchers note.
Private sector involvement is also a “key” factor to Moroccan success, as the Kingdom has mastered the “culture and careful management” of private investment, the IEMed underlines, adding that "Morocco has demonstrated solid success in this respect, and thus serves as a model."
