french Voltalia to Build 2 Hydropower Plants in Morocco

Morocco’s Energy Ministry delivered permits to Voltalia to build two hydropower plants of respectively 9.8 MW and 7.2 MW in the Middle-Atlas region.

“These permits follow positive technical approvals delivered by the National Bureau for Electricity and Drinking Water regarding the connection of the plants to the national grid,” said the French company in a statement.

“These permits come as a recognition of the extensive work done over the past three years by our Moroccan team”, Sébastien Clerc, CEO of Voltalia was quoted in the statement as saying.

Morocco will have invested $40 billion by 2030 in projects aiming to develop the energy sector as it ambitions to derive 50% of its energy needs from renewable sources by the same year. About $30 billion of the amount is earmarked for renewable energies.

The share of renewables in electricity production in Morocco reached 34% of overall energy output in the country by the end of 2017, while the share of wind and solar energy hardly exceeded 2% in early 2009.

Founded in 2005, Voltalia is power producer and service provider in renewable electricity production from solar, wind, hydro and biomass energies. As an industrial integrated company, Voltalia has developed a strong expertise throughout the value chain of a renewable project, including project development and financing.

The French company, which settled in Morocco in 2015, ambitions to build several hydropower plants with a total capacity of 40 MW.