A recently published implementation and results report by the African Development Bank has validated Morocco’s electricity network development program as a benchmark of structural transformation, praising its measurable achievements in grid modernization, rural electrification, and renewable energy integration — outcomes that now serve as a reference for other African nations pursuing similar energy transitions.
The program in question — Le Programme de Développement des Réseaux de Transport d’Électricité et d’Électrification Rurale (PDRTE-ER) — is a €352.33 million-initiative executed by ONEE, the national electricity and water authority. Originally slated for completion between 2020 and 2024, it was extended to June 2026 following disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and global supply chain pressures. Despite these setbacks, its delivered results have substantially exceeded initial targets.
On rural electrification, the program connected 937 new villages to the national grid — surpassing the original target of 720 by 30% — and brought electricity to 19,980 additional households, well above the 16,250 planned. This was made possible through the deployment of 1,261 kilometers of medium-voltage lines, 3,898 kilometers of low-voltage lines, and 719 medium-to-low voltage transformation stations. Morocco’s rural electrification rate has now reached 99.91% — a level approaching near-universal coverage and described by the AfDB as a catalyst for socioeconomic transformation in rural communities.
On the transmission side, the program has integrated 45.5% renewable energy capacity into the national grid and elevated peak capacity to 7,580 MW — enabling the evacuation of solar and wind production from generation sites to consumption centers. The program’s overall engagement rate stands at 93.6%, with implementation classified as satisfactory by the AfDB. Morocco’s peak capacity, grid reliability improvements, and renewable integration ratio are now cited by the bank as replicable models across the African continent.
