Morocco exports $60 mln of electricity in 2021

Morocco exported 851 Ghw of electricity in 2021, worth 565 million dirhams ($60 million), as it continues to diversify its energy mix away from fossil fuels, the treasury said.

Electricity exports were up 700% compared to a year earlier while imports grew only 20% to 688 Gwh, the treasury said in a recent report.

The national electricity utility invested 9 billion dirhams last year and the overall installed capacity grew from 10.627 MW in 2020 to 10.968 MW in 2021.

This increase was achieved after Morocco started operating two solar plants in Zagora and Missour (80W) as well as the Solar PV plant of Tafilalet (120 MW) besides the wind park of Oualidia.

Wind represented the second most important electricity source in Morocco with 12.4% compared to 8.5% for gas.

Morocco saw its gas supplies from Algiers halted in October last year, due to Algeria’s unilateral decision to suspend supply through the Maghreb-Europe pipeline. The decision served as a trigger for speeding up Morocco’s renewable energy plan which now aims to exceed 52% of the energy mix by 2025.