COUNTRY FOCUS: MOROCCO
“
MOROCCO IS
A REFERENCE
IN TERMS OF
RENEWABLE
ENERGY.
Internationally, Masen is aiming to be the
preferred partner for any country wishing
to make renewable energy a priority
for its socioeconomic development and
has already signed several partnership
agreements with African countries for the
development of renewable energies.
Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African
Development Bank Group and Masen
President Mustapha Bakkoury have also
signed a letter of intent marking a new
cooperation initiative as part of the 'Desert
to Power' programme.
The goal is to support African countries,
especially those in the Sahel region targeted
by the 'Desert to Power' initiative, to develop
renewable energy technologies which are
adapted to their natural environments and
specific energy needs.
The African Development Bank Group began
operations in Morocco in 1970. From its
first financial disbursement in 1978, to the
Kingdom’s water and sanitation sector,
the Bank has an active portfolio of many
programmes and projects.
Nestled on the steep slopes of the
northernmost part of Morocco facing
Spain, is the Melloussa interconnection
station, which provides 15% of Morocco’s
electricity production.
The plant, located close to Tangier, connects
to Spain through a 27km undersea cable
and has transformed the country’s national
power supply.
The station was one of the first to link
the north African nation to Europe and
Northwest Africa. Melloussa’ s first power
interconnection became operational in
1997 via a link, reinforced with new cables
in 2006, doubling transmission capacity
from 700 to 1,400 megawatts.
A third 700-megawatt line has further
enhanced the frequency and voltage
stability of the Moroccan electrical grid.
A pioneer in undersea connections between
two continents, Morocco also leads the
way in power connectivity within the North
Africa region. Moroccan, Algerian and
Tunisian networks were interconnected in
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