Marruecos acoge la 15ª conferencia energética de la zona MENA
Morocco is preparing this weekend to host the 15th energy conference of the North African and Middle East region - known as the MENA region - on Monday 14 March. The meeting is organised by the Moroccan Energy Federation and will focus on discussing the energy transition, according to the Emirati newspaper The National, which has gathered all the information about the event. In addition, the United Arab Emirates will be the guest of honour, represented by the Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Sultan al-Jaber.
The conference will be held in Rabat, the capital of the Moroccan kingdom, and is organised jointly by the Moroccan Ministry of Energy and Transition and Sustainable Development. The theme of the conference is "Energy Transition: Progress Report and Perspectives". According to the report of the 15th energy conference, the invited countries will discuss new ways of promoting clean and sustainable energy alternatives.
The meeting takes place in a context where MENA countries are boosting their renewable capacities with new projects, several of them related to solar energy. Morocco is also investing in numerous renewable proposals. In 2019, Abu Dhabi's Masdar won a tender to build an 800 megawatt solar power plant in North Africa.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates, OPEC's third-largest oil producer, "plans to invest around $163 billion - Dh600 billion - by 2050 in clean, renewable energy capacity", The National newspaper reported. This investment stems from the UAE's aim to achieve zero emissions over the next three decades.
According to Al-Jaber, the MENA region has the resources and vision to develop enormous economic potential as the world moves towards a green transition. That is why the countries of the region must not miss the opportunity by using all available means.
The meeting will also bring together numerous speakers and participants from the international and national energy sector.
In the last few years, the North African kingdom has made numerous strides towards a green transition. According to the daily Al Ain, this is due to a "careful strategy that allowed the implementation of large projects that required large investments".
These smart investments have led Morocco to rank first in the MENA region in the "Green Future" index according to the MIT Technology Review's ranking. This ranking includes 76 countries and territories in the aforementioned region. These have been rated according to "progress on the path to a green future through carbon emissions reduction, clean energy development and innovation in sectors", reports Al Ain.
The country's diverse climate and location has enabled it to increase its renewable energy production by 37 per cent. This figure represents more than a third of domestic electricity use. This makes the Alawi kingdom one of the most developed nations in this respect, both on a continental and international level.