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Thursday 9 August 2018

By Gaining Expertise in Renewable Energy Development, Morocco Strengthens its Position at the International Level: MASEN Head

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By Gaining Expertise in Renewable Energy Development, Morocco Strengthens its Position at the International Level: MASEN Head

By gaining expertise in renewable energy development and optimizing the price of electricity, the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN), together with the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE), is strengthening Morocco’s advantageous position in the renewables sector at the regional, continental and international level, President of MASEN, Mustapha Bakkoury, said.

Defining the objectives to be pursued and translating them into operational targets and communicating with various stakeholders on key aspects of adopted programs are the key factors in boosting the development of sustainable energy, Bakkoury pointed out in an interview with the Vietnamese monthly magazine "Vietnam Economic Times" (VET).

"An appropriate institutional and legal framework is also needed," he added, noting that establishing a dedicated entity with relevant powers would also help speed up program implementation and project delivery.

Bakkoury emphasized that, in Morocco’s experience, these are the main factors in developing energy generation and Vietnamese enterprises can exchange information with Masen, which supports energy development in both countries.

According to the monthly publication, Bakkoury anticipates cooperation between Vietnamese enterprises and Masen in the near future.

With the boom in technological development, Masen is able to identify the best and most innovative technological configurations to generate the most useful electricity for national electrical grids, he said.

The diversification of renewable energy sources in the national mix allows for flexible electricity generation that can be adapted to consumer demand while optimizing the cost per kWh. "Masen makes the most of these sources and chooses the most adaptable technological configuration for the need identified," Bakkoury told VET.

The major forms of technology either developed or in the planning stage in Morocco include solar thermal (concentrated and photovoltaic), onshore wind, hydroelectric dams, and pumped storage hydroelectric, he said, adding that other forms of technology could be introduced in the foreseeable future.

While the energy situation in Africa is defined by a major electricity shortfall and growing demand, Europe is facing stable but high energy demand, coupled with obligations to ensure a higher proportion of its energy mix comes from renewable sources.

By capitalizing on the national expertise Masen has developed, Morocco can already help address Africa’s energy challenge, VET said.

Its strategic geographical position, strengthened by the interconnected electricity transmission infrastructure in place and under construction, make the Kingdom a hub for trade with Africa and also between Africa and Europe, the source said.

Masen has set a target that installed solar capacity will be 2,000 MW by 2020, installed wind capacity 2,000 MW, and minimum installed hydraulic capacity 2,000 MW.

Created in 2010, Masen, the central player in this national strategy, is in charge of, alongside ONEE, implementing the Royal vision for renewable energy.

Together, the resources deployed to make this vision a reality and the experience of developing projects in partnership with ONEE and the resulting expertise put Morocco in a strong strategic position on the continental and world stage in the renewable energy sector, it said.

Masen’s projects harness these power sources to make the best use of solar, wind and hydraulic by choosing appropriate technology for the sites selected and the needs identified. As the key contributor, alongside ONEE, to achieving national targets, Masen pays special attention to the environmental impact of its projects, from a social, economic and environmental standpoint.

MAP 08 August 2018