- Morocco is becoming a major spot for solar energy investments in the Middle East and North Africa.
- Morocco has set clear goals of getting 52 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
Morocco is becoming a major spot for solar energy investments in the Middle East and North Africa, according to a report by Bourse & Bazaar, a London-based research group that looks at economic trends in the region.
The report says several big investors from the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala, and Dubai’s AMEA Power, are putting money into solar projects in Morocco.
They’re also active in Egypt and Jordan, but Morocco stands out because of its strong solar potential and national push for clean energy.
Morocco has set clear goals of getting 52 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. It’s also planning to increase its solar capacity to 2.7 gigawatts by 2027 and 2.97 gigawatts by 2028.
One of the biggest examples of Morocco’s solar efforts is the Noor Ouarzazate complex. It has a total capacity of 580 megawatts and got investment from Saudi company ACWA Power in all three of its development phases.
Another company, AMEA Power, is currently working on three solar plants in Taroudant, Tangier, and El Hajeb.
While Masdar, an energy company from the UAE, doesn’t have its own solar stations in Morocco yet, it has partnered with Morocco’s electricity office to help bring solar power to more than 19,000 households.
The report also highlights the role of MASEN, Morocco’s agency for sustainable energy. It helps move projects forward by handling permits, land access, and other procedures.
That support has helped attract large projects, including the X-links plan to send Moroccan renewable electricity to the UK through an underwater cable.
Still, there are some challenges. The report points to rules that require investors to hire local workers, even for highly technical jobs.
This can slow down projects and reduce flexibility. On top of that, Morocco depends on importing many solar panel parts. That makes it harder to meet local content rules in public contracts, which can affect costs and project timelines.
The report says that if Morocco wants to stay attractive to investors, it may need to adjust some of these rules.
It also notes that the lower cost of producing electricity in Morocco and Egypt is a major reason why Gulf investors are interested, especially compared to the higher costs in their own countries.