Tunisia-Imed Derouiche: “Morocco has invested in the field of energy with conviction and a vision for the future

Tunisian geophysicist and international specialist in energy affairs, Mr Imed Derouiche, stated on Thursday, March 17, 2022, that Morocco has invested in the field of energy with conviction and a vision for the future. Mr Derouiche affirmed during a virtual conference organized by the International Institute of Peace for the Middle East and North Africa, based in Manama, that “Morocco did not wait for the drop of oil and gas as a gift from heaven, but invested early in the renewable energy sector, with conviction, in special through a forward-looking vision”.

Thanks to this vision, Morocco is today at the top of the Guinness Book of Records for the largest solar field of concentrated solar energy in the globe, said Mr Derouiche.

Emphasizing that renewable energies now represent 37% of the electricity mix of the Morocco kingdom, putting the country in the footsteps of the major European countries in the field of renewable energies. Mr Derouiche expressed that in addition to solar energy, Morocco has likewise invested in wind energy, an investment that fast paid off with the launch of the first green hydrogen production project in Africa which led to the conclusion of an agreement with multinational companies for the export of green ammonia to Europe.

For his part, the director of the International Institute of Peace for the Middle East and North Africa, Nejib Friji lauded the accomplishments made in Morocco on the different economic, social and political levels. Mr Friji also declared that Morocco’s proactive strategy in the area of ​​diversifying alternative energy sources has made it immune to the repercussions of the energy crisis confronting the world due to the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.

On the other hand, he pointed out that the conference was held in an international context characterised by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, with its repercussions on the global energy system, stating that experts and participants evaluated the capacity of the countries of the MENA region to deal with these consequences, in particular the peak in energy prices. The conference was organized under the title “Energy Security in the Middle East and North Africa”, in the attendance of international experts, government officials, ambassadors, media professionals and civil society activists.