For years, Morocco has worked to become an international leader in renewable energy.
By 2030, the country aims to produce 52% of its electricity from clean sources. By 2080, the goal is to reach 80%. For this purpose, the cooperation between Rabat and Jerusalem can play a key role.
"Today we know that we are on a journey to damage the globe,” Bar-Ilan University President Prof. Arie Zaban said earlier this year when Israel and Morocco signed a bilateral agreement for energy cooperation at the university. “Energy is by far the biggest challenge we are facing. Energy, which today in Europe is a cause for war, can be a tool for peace.”
“We will do excellent science, we will develop excellent solutions, we will push this field forward, we will generate clean air for humanity, and we will generate peace,” he added.
Collaborations between academic institutions are crucial to develop new technologies. The agreement on energy was signed by Moroccan National Energy Transition Consortium (MNETC), which includes 20 research groups from various Moroccan universities, and the Israel National Energy Research Consortium (INERC), which includes 33 research groups from seven leading Israeli academic institutions.
Last week, less than two months after the agreement was signed, Israeli company H2Pro and Moroccan renewable energy developer Gaia Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the UN Climate Conference (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt. “Imagine in the future, instead of exporting oil from the Middle East or South America, you’ll have countries like Morocco that will produce the massive scale of green derivatives of hydrogen, and green fuels from Morocco to the northern countries,” said Gaia’s CEO Moundir Zniber.
Zniber will present on November 17 at the Global Investment Forum 2022. Learn more.
Solar power station
Perhaps, nothing embodies Morocco’s potential as a leader in renewable energies as the Noor Ouarzazate Solar Power Station.
When construction began in 2013, it was set to become the largest concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in the world. Today, over two million Moroccans depended upon it for electricity.
Last week, Rabat launched a project for the production and storage of thermal energy at the facility in cooperation with Belgium.
Earlier this month Morocco signed a partnership on renewables with the European Union, highlighting one more time how collaborations between countries represent a key to finding the solutions for a better future, in Morocco and beyond.
Renewable energy will also be at the center of the upcoming Global Investment Forum organized by the Jerusalem Post and its media partners – Global Media Holding in Morocco and the Khaleej Times in the United Arab Emirates. The Forum will take place in Marrakech on November 17, with a virtual event on November 20. Learn more here.