Morocco’s energy development has not held back in the Kingdom in recent years. It is so important that the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, insisted on explaining it. Also in a response to a written question from the group of the popular movement (MP) in the House of Representatives it supported its program with concrete examples while giving pride of place to the reduction of the energy bill.
Thus, within the framework of the restructuring of the institutional framework of the sector, the Board of Directors of the Energy Engineering Company (SIE) on energy services, notes that the latter is currently working to support partners, particularly from the General sector in the preparation, implementation and monitoring of their energy efficiency projects.
The main objective being a sustainable future. Morocco, having set itself to this end to produce 52% of its energy production through sustainable development by 2030. Leïla Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, confirmed that since the creation of the SIE in 2010, it acts as a financial arm of the State in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors. the development and financing of national programs and the realization of clean energy projects.
The Minister revealed that the company is keen to crystallize this new approach in all its projects and programs, since 3,000 mosques will be powered by solar energy to ensure a saving of 40% of the energy bill, with the involvement of very small entrepreneurs (TPE), adding that an agreement had been signed between the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, its department the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development and the SIE to implement implement this program in all regions of the Kingdom.
And the government official recorded that in this context and a concern for energy efficiency at the level of the Hassan II Mosque Foundation and in the right spirit of improving energy performance, a contract was concluded with a private energy services company . The signature extends over 10 years and guarantees 40% savings on the energy bill. The icing on the cake, the energy rehabilitation of 35 social centers in the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region, the objective also being to achieve 40% energy savings.
The Minister of Habous and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufik, announced for his part that the program for the energy rehabilitation of mosques, which is implemented in application of a framework agreement signed in 2014 between the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs institutions and the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, has made it possible to equip 6,048 mosques in different regions of the Kingdom with energy efficiency equipment for a total amount of 97 million dirhams, indicating that studies are underway in the part of this program to equip 1,980 additional mosques before the end of 2023.
In addition, Benali mentioned the energy rehabilitation of public lighting in the city of Marrakech with private investment, through the conclusion of an energy performance improvement contract with a private energy services company. She pointed out that this project has enabled the creation of 200 jobs, in addition to the installation of tens of thousands of streetlights.
In order to ensure the availability of the necessary financing, in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises and private energy service companies, the Minister for Energy Transition and Sustainable Development has confirmed that the SIE has implemented the principle of insurance and warranty for the sole purpose of achieving these energy goals. The SIE having worked, according to Benali, to seek other sources of financing, which enabled it to obtain support from the African Development Bank (ADB) in the amount of 965,000 dollars in order to activate its role as public energy service company to provide and improve energy efficiency in Morocco, in addition to obtaining support in the amount of $765,000 from the British Fund “Rapid Response Facility-UK”.
The SIE, added the Minister, has also started the process for its approval by the Green Climate Fund as the executive agency of this fund in the field of energy efficiency at the national level. These projects are labeled by the company, in particular by mobilizing private funds both nationally and internationally. The company is working on this to develop new models of energy efficiency contracts compatible with various sectors.
In addition, Leila Benali revealed that as part of support for South-South cooperation in the field of energy services, and in partnership with the AfDB, a consortium of energy service companies is being set up in Africa, which will strengthen cooperation between countries in the field of energy services by supporting its development.
The Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development concluded that her department is currently engaged in developing the institutional framework related to the energy efficiency sector, with the aim of taking into account the recommendations of the new development model (NMD ) with a precise orientation of the definition of the tasks of all the institutions involved.