Morocco and Mauritania sign memorandum of understanding on electricity and renewable energies
Morocco's Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, and her Mauritanian counterpart for Energy and Petroleum, Mohamed Ould Khaled, signed on Thursday in Rabat a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in the electricity and renewable energy sectors.
The working visit of the Mauritanian Minister of Energy and Petroleum to Morocco is part of an ongoing consultation and coordination dynamic between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, with the aim of strengthening and developing bilateral relations in line with the aspirations of both countries. This visit also reflects the directives of King Mohammed VI and the Mauritanian President, Mohammed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, according to a statement from the Moroccan Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development reported by La Vie Eco.
This agreement, according to the same source, represents a fundamental step towards accelerating cooperation between Morocco and Mauritania in the electricity and renewable energy sectors. It includes the implementation of projects aimed at electrifying rural areas, promoting clean energy initiatives and harmonising electricity standards between the two countries.
The memorandum of understanding also covers the exchange of knowledge, technologies and best practices in grid management and energy security, in addition to strengthening human capacities through joint training programmes.
The cooperation also aims to strengthen energy security, diversify sources of supply and explore the feasibility of an electricity interconnection project to stabilise grids and optimise electricity supply.
The talks between the two ministers also addressed important strategic projects, such as the gas pipeline connecting Morocco to Nigeria, as well as initiatives in the field of new energies, particularly green hydrogen.
The gas pipeline connecting Morocco and Mauritania is a key project in the context of energy cooperation between the two countries and also in the regional energy security strategy. Although it is not as developed as other major energy infrastructure projects, important progress has been made in terms of energy integration in the Sahel and Maghreb region.
Both parties stressed that relations between Morocco and Mauritania are based on a shared vision aimed at sustainable development, thus reaffirming their commitment to strengthening Africa's position as a continent with exceptional potential for growth and prosperity.
Morocco and Mauritania boost collaboration in water desalination technologies
The signing of this memorandum of understanding coincides with a meeting between the Moroccan Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, and his Mauritanian counterpart, Amel Bent Maouloud, on the sidelines of the High-Level Forum on Financing Water Development in the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa). The ministers discussed the possibility of creating a water interconnection between basins and the joint construction of mobile plants for seawater desalination.
This collaboration aims to address the water challenges of both countries through the exchange of experiences and the implementation of joint projects.
The forum, organised by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) in collaboration with the World Bank, aims to improve water management, promote water-saving technologies, finance key projects and review policies and regulations in the Middle East and North Africa.
The meeting between Ministers Baraka and Bent Maouloud is part of this effort to find innovative and collaborative solutions for sustainable water management.
The Kingdom has been taking a number of concrete and ambitious steps to address growing water scarcity, especially in a context of recurrent droughts exacerbated by climate change. Water desalination is one of the key strategies the country is implementing. In this regard, several other projects are underway to expand desalination capacity, such as the construction of new plants in Dakhla, Agadir and Tangier.
