Renewable energies: Morocco's big bet on the future to supply Europe and Africa
Morocco has committed to becoming a global leader in the field of renewable energies, taking advantage of its enormous wind and solar potential to become a supplier to European and African countries
The precedents for Morocco's commitment to the renewable energy sector can be found in the speech given by King Mohammed VI at the First National Conference on Energy, which began on 6 March 2009 in Rabat. In that speech, the monarch stated that "based on our long-term vision, which takes into account the trends and developments in the global energy situation that will emerge over the coming decades, we are making energy availability, security of supply and environmental protection our top priorities. Therefore, our country must constantly prepare and adapt to the various changes that lie ahead, so that we can ensure social and economic development while meeting our growing energy needs in a sustainable manner (...). We are focused on the need to diversify our energy sources and mobilise our renewable resources."
This visionary approach was translated by King Mohammed VI himself into concrete and quantifiable objectives in his speech at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in November 2015 in Paris, raising the contribution of renewable energies to Morocco's energy matrix from 42% to 52% by 2030.
Current data
At the end of 2024, the contribution of renewable energies to the Moroccan energy mix reached 44% of total needs, just six percentage points short of the target set for five years' time. Within the contribution of renewables, wind energy accounts for 44% of the total; hydroelectric energy, 40%; and solar energy, the remaining 16%.
Morocco has enormous potential for wind energy. Its wind capacity factor (the ratio between the actual energy generated by a power plant over a period of time and the energy it would have produced if it had operated at maximum capacity during that same period) is 60%, which is three times higher than the same factor in both the European Union and the United Kingdom.
In absolute terms, Morocco has a wind power potential of 25,000 MW, thanks to average wind speeds of between 9.5 and 11 metres per second at 40 metres. In terms of solar potential, the country enjoys an average of 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, with a potential of 6.5 KW/hour per square metre per day.
All this potential is already being translated into electricity generation: in 2024, Morocco had a capacity of 5.3 GW from renewable energies, plus an additional capacity of 2.6 GW between 2023 and 2027: 2,120 MW of hydroelectric power; 2,360 MW of wind power; and 857 MW of solar power.
The wind sector, which is generating the most energy, has received a total investment of 36 billion dirhams for the period 2023-2027.
An attractive country for renewable energy
Morocco is very attractive in the international renewable energy arena. In the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index 2025 (RECAI), compiled by the consulting firm EY, the country ranks first in Africa, ahead of Egypt and South Africa, and 27th globally.
It is also in the top 10 in the Climate Change Performance Index 2025 (CCPI), with a rating of ‘high’, surpassing most European Union member countries.
This has been made possible by the adoption of a legislative and regulatory framework aimed at promoting investment and development in the private sector, with the creation of public institutions related to renewable energy, and the structuring of the private sector in the form of federations, professional associations and clusters.
This has led to more than 40 national and international companies operating in the development of renewable energy in Morocco and more than 500 service providers related to the marketing, installation and maintenance of green energy.
These include large-scale projects such as the Noor Ouarzazate solar photovoltaic plant, which has four plants with a total capacity of 580 MW, covering an area of more than 3,000 hectares.
In wind energy, the Tarfaya Wind Farm stands out, with an installed capacity of 301 MW and an annual production of 1,000 GW/hour, which means avoiding CO2 emissions into the atmosphere equivalent to 900,000 tonnes per year.
In both solar and wind energy, Morocco has enormous capacity for the development of a local industry in all four parts of the process: parts manufacturing; planning and development; engineering and construction; and operation and maintenance.
Investment opportunities
Morocco offers excellent investment opportunities in the renewable energy sector for companies wishing to participate in the development of this sector in the country.
Specifically, AMDIE has identified up to five areas in which investment from companies will be needed to help meet the established objectives:
- Energy efficiency: the targets set for the period 2014-2020 envisaged a 6% saving in energy consumption. This target has been raised and, by 2030, a 20% saving in energy consumption is envisaged in public buildings, industry, public lighting and mosques.
- Waste recovery: the recovery of household waste and its use for the generation of clean energy (biomass) is another of the challenges facing Morocco in the coming years. The goal is to generate between 17 and 25 million MW/hour per year from biomass by 2030 and to recover energy from up to 45% of household waste by that year. In addition, it is expected to generate up to 680,000 tonnes of alternative fuels for use in cement plants.
- Water desalination using renewable energy: the nine desalination plants currently in operation produce around 147 million cubic metres of fresh water per year for human consumption and agriculture. Four more plants are currently being installed in Casablanca, Safi, Dakhla and Nador.
- Storage: Morocco is the leading Arab country and the second on the African continent in terms of its potential for pumped storage hydroelectric power (Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power, or STEP). It has two plants in operation (Afourer and Abdelmoumen) and another two that will begin operating in 2030, in addition to various storage facilities pending approval.
- Decarbonisation of industry: Morocco needs up to 800 GW per year of renewable energy to supply its industrial areas in order to achieve the objectives set out in Law 82/21.
Green hydrogen
Another of the country's renewable energy goals is to become one of the most competitive players in the new green hydrogen generation market, with the capacity to supply the European Union, among other markets.
In this regard, Morocco is one of the six countries with the greatest potential for the Power-To-X sector (innovative technology that can transform renewable electricity into a wide variety of end products, such as liquid and gaseous fuels and other chemical products).
To this end, it has multiple advantages, such as its potential in combined renewable energies (wind and solar); its leadership in energy transition; and its geographical proximity to Europe.
According to studies, Morocco is in a position to capture between 4% and 8% of the global Power-To-X market, which could represent between €100 million and €400 million.
To capture this future green hydrogen market, the country has launched a strategic plan, called the Moroccan Green Hydrogen Offer, aimed at promoting integrated, industrial-scale projects covering the entire value chain.
To this end, it has made available up to one million hectares in several phases. The first phase involves the allocation of up to 300,000 hectares for the establishment of companies and public-private partnerships.
All of them will be eligible for the incentives provided for in the new Investment Charter, both in terms of taxes and tariffs. The Offer is overseen by a Steering Committee chaired by the Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, and an Investment Committee chaired by the Minister of Investment, Karim Zidane.