Morocco''s energy strategy has been developed in response to climate change, specifically that caused by the activities of the energy sector. Indeed, it is based on the mobilization of Morocco''s own national resources, the rise of renewables in the energy mix, and the introduction of energy efficiency as a national priority. Its implementation will enable the establishment of a diversified energy mix and will be optimized around specific technology choices, both reliable and competitive.
This strategy, which has the major objectives of ensuring security of supply and widespread energy price-optimized access; mobilization of domestic energy resources, mainly the significant potential for renewable energy (RE) in the country; the promotion of energy efficiency [1]; and the integration of Morocco into the regional energy system in compliance with environmental preservation, places the development of RE at the top of its priorities [2].
Furthermore, Morocco has experienced considerable growth in electricity demand. Energy consumption has risen at an average annual rate of 6.5% from 2002 to 2015 [3, 4] due to economic growth, the rise in population, and the increase in per capita energy consumption. This increase in consumption was also due to consistent investments in electrification projects, which allowed the country to reach a 99.5% electricity access rate in 2015 (which is impressive growth considering that the rural electrification level was only at 18% in 1995) [5].
During the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21), Morocco announced a new goal to increase the capacity of renewables to 52% (20% solar, 20% wind, 12% hydro) by 2030 [6]. This will make Morocco the first African country to aim to reach more than 50% electricity generation from RE in a continent where access to any energy is a big issue [7]. These goals are attainable because the country has high potential in wind and solar resources and is an important player in the Euro-Mediterranean energy hub, including all regional projects facilitating synergy as Project MedGrid, of which the Morocco is a member [3].
This paper describes the organization of the Moroccan energy sector, which is based on a green strategy with RE. Potential impacts of this strategy are discussed on the basis of a regulatory framework. We also discuss opportunities and barriers for this green strategy in relation to the international context based on the findings from past and ongoing studies and conferences organized regarding the Moroccan energy experience. Finally, we suggest additional measures that integrate large-scale projects and regulation improvements that involve a real transition from a regulated market to a full free market and that takes account of the barriers related to existing independent power producers (IPP) facilities.
The primary energy supply in Morocco has been rising steadily and reached 17,283 ktons of oil equivalent ("TOE") in 2015 [8]. The country is clearly dependent on fossil fuels, as petroleum products account for 41% of the primary energy supply, crude oil for 31%, coal and peat for 17%, and gas for 4%. The primary energy supply has increased significantly in the past. Morocco is highly dependent on imports of energy sources; in 2015, the dependency was about 94.5%. Morocco experienced a significant increase in demand for primary energy as it has increased by 0.36 TOE per capita in 2002 to 0.56 TOE in 2015 [9].
In 2015, the total energy consumption was 18.4 million TOE out of which petroleum products stood for 60% of energy consumption and coal 22% [10]. This trend was also observed on electricity, where the rate was 7% in 2013 with a total energy demand of 32 Twh in the end of 2015 reflecting an energy bill of US$12.3 billion [11].
Due to demographic and economic growth, electricity demand grew at an average annual rate of 6.6% in 2015, leading to an energy consumption of 34,413 GWh at the end of 2015 [11]. In 2015, the amount of electricity produced totaled 29,914.2 GWh. Renewable sources generated 13.4% of the energy, while 49% came from coal, 16.6% from natural gas, and 6% from oil [9].
Morocco has an overall vision towards sustainable development. After adopting a National Energy Strategy (NES) with corresponding targets in 2009 of reaching 42% installed RE capacity by 2020, Morocco renewed the strategy in 2015 with a 52% target for 2030 [12]. Thus, Morocco has prioritized the development of renewables in addition of other sources as natural gas.
The electricity sector is structured around a national utility, the National Agency for Electricity and Water/Electricity Branch (ONEE), which is placed under the administrative and technical control of the Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water, and the Environment. The ministry also supervises the following institutions:
ADEREE - The National Agency for the Development of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency was established in 2010. ADEREE has replaced the Centre for Renewable Energy Development and aims to develop and promote RE and energy efficiency [15] In 2016, ADEREE was transformed into AMEE, the Moroccan agency for Energy Efficiency, with the goal of focusing only on energy efficiency [16]. This transformation is very important to the agency, as energy efficiency in Morocco is still in progress, and the work done before in this field was insufficient regarding the huge potential of reducing overall energy consumption in Morocco [17].
EIS - The Energy Investment Corporation was created in June 2009 to boost the development of RE projects [18] The company has a national interest capital of MAD 1 billion [19]. With the new update of Moroccan institutions and their roles, the new role of this company is still undefined, and it still works only in small and medium projects, such as street lighting (use of PV panel system).
IRESEN - The Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energy was established in February 2011. IRESEN aims to consolidate the needs of different stakeholders and to ensure the implementation and enhancement of various research projects.
Unfortunately, the distribution operators that are supervised by the Ministry of the Interior are often against the development of RE in their networks. This lack of coordination, cooperation, and synergistic collaboration between the various stakeholders, political groups, and ministries does not help when forming a common strategic vision for the promotion of RE.
Act 13–09, on renewable energies, marked the new energy strategy by allowing private companies to produce electricity from renewable sources and to buy it from the market. This Act revolutionized the energy landscape by introducing major innovations through:
The liberalization of the RE market;
Allowing private green electricity developers access to the national grid (all voltage levels); and
The possibility for private developers to carry out direct transmission lines for their own use when the capacity of the national electricity grid and interconnections is insufficient.
Transition of the electricity market in emergent countries
In 2016, a new update of Act No. 13–09 was adopted, called Act No. 58–15, and implemented the following provisions:
Increasing the threshold of installed capacity for small hydroelectric power plants from 12 to 30 MW;
Allowing the trade of surplus green generation to ONEE, though the project owner cannot sell "more than 20% as an excess of the annual generation"; and
Introducing the basis of the low-voltage electricity market.
The most added value of Act 58–15 is the liberalization of the low-voltage market. This market presents a huge potential for small scale projects (i.e., rooftop photovoltaic, biomass, solar pump). As such, complementary acts related to this Act should take into consideration the low income of the Moroccan people and propose financial mechanisms to boost the market. For example, a mixed system of Feed-in-tariff and Net Metering will be good choices [23].
Many of the laws that have been introduced to promote RE, such as the 13–09 law, are still presenting issues. For example, this law tends to facilitate only large-scale projects rather than helping the entry of smaller producers and stimulating the development of more community-based, bottom-up energy initiatives. The decree for RE connection to low-voltage energy has not been approved yet.
Morocco is also developing its power mix through public–private partnerships. IPPs develop power projects and sell the power to ONEE or to large consumers through power purchase agreements that include generally a "take or pay" clause. The result is that power plants that are technically dispatchable are financially not dispatchable for ONEE as a balancing authority, whose dispatchable capacity is increasingly reduced [24].
ONEE and MASEN launched international tenders under the IPP scheme for the development, financing, design, engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and operation and maintenance of wind farms. The bidder signs a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with ONEE for a period of 20 years, under which ONEE will purchase the project''s electricity production [25].
The PPA contains commercial and legal terms and conditions that cover the following points, in particular:
Development, financing, design, engineering, procurement, construction, authorization, realization, testing, commissioning, insurance, right of use, operation and maintenance by the Wind Farm Project Corporation and all ancillary facilities;
Other ONEE procurement and payment obligations;
Deductions, penalties, and other damages arising from deviations from the terms of the PPA;
Termination cases and rights in the event of termination.
This PPA allows (i) the purchase of electricity during the life of the plant, (ii) the issuance by the government of a letter of support guaranteeing payment to the project company and payment in case of early termination of the PPA, and (iii) the use of the project site for the duration of the PPA.
As shown in Table 1, the tender schemes helped the country to reduce the cost of electricity from 1.6 MAD per Kwh with NOOR 1 to 1.39 MAD per Kwh with NOOR 3, and also introduced CSP technology into the national grid, which will generate energy in peak hours when the electricity cost is higher, as has been done in some countries like Chile and Taiwan [26].
As Morocco''s first experience with RE, the Act authorized industries to produce green electricity for their own consumption with a limit of 10 Mw (before 2008). A wind farm was realized under this Act with a capacity of 10.2 MW in 2005. In 2008, the newly revised Act raised the maximum allowed capacity to 50 MW. Even for big consumers, the limit was also 50 MW. However, without access to the grid, companies could only generate power on-site.
In 2015, the new Act (54.14) overcame the limitations of Act 16.08, now giving the right for large consumers to develop bigger capacities (a minimum of 300 MW) from renewables or conventional resources. It also gave the possibility of grid access, so big consumers could produce electricity on one site and consume it at another site.
About Rabat renewable energy growth
As the photovoltaic (PV) industry continues to evolve, advancements in Rabat renewable energy growth have become critical to optimizing the utilization of renewable energy sources. From innovative battery technologies to intelligent energy management systems, these solutions are transforming the way we store and distribute solar-generated electricity.
When you're looking for the latest and most efficient Rabat renewable energy growth for your PV project, our website offers a comprehensive selection of cutting-edge products designed to meet your specific requirements. Whether you're a renewable energy developer, utility company, or commercial enterprise looking to reduce your carbon footprint, we have the solutions to help you harness the full potential of solar energy.
By interacting with our online customer service, you'll gain a deep understanding of the various Rabat renewable energy growth featured in our extensive catalog, such as high-efficiency storage batteries and intelligent energy management systems, and how they work together to provide a stable and reliable power supply for your PV projects.
Related Contents
