TAQA to invest USD 1.6bn in renewables in Morocco

The Moroccan subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) is planning to invest USD 1.6 billion (EUR 1.5bn) in renewable energy projects in the North African country by the end of this decade, its chairman Abdul Majeed Eraqi said on Tuesday as cited by local media.

At a press conference in Casablanca, Eraqi said that TAQA Morocco's new strategy envisages the deployment of 1,000 MW of renewables which will help reduce its carbon footprint by 25%.

In the area of wind energy, the company has 100 MW in the north and 600 MW in the pre-development stage in the south of the country. It is also looking for suitable areas to install a further 200 MW of turbines.

Regarding solar energy, TAQA Morocco won last year five lots in the Kingdom's solar programme Noor PV II. The sites are located in Sidi Bennour and El Kelaa des Sghrana and have the potential to host 96 MW of solar capacity.

TAQA Morocco, which operates North Africa's largest coal-fired power plant of 2 GW near Casablanca, plans to launch two renewable energy projects with a combined capacity of 200 MW, one desalination project and two other low-carbon projects in 2023.

Eraqi, cited by Asharq, Hespress and other local media, noted that TAQA aims to play a role in Morocco's energy transformation and plans to explore also opportunities in the area of green hydrogen in line with the government's strategy.

(USD 1 = EUR 0.938)

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