RE: BBC - Morocco solar & wind4 May 2023 13:16
The Moroccan Govt comments are encouraging though........
At last November's COP27 climate change conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Morocco signed a memorandum of understanding with France, Germany, Portugal and Spain to make it easier to sell power across borders.
However, climate change activist Hajar Khalmichi, from the Mediterranean Youth Climate Network, says she wants to see Morocco fulfil all its domestic energy needs from renewables before thinking of exporting any electricity.
She also thinks that the ambition of 52% of electricity coming from renewables doesn't go far enough, and that there hasn't been enough discussion about where the rest will come from as Morocco tries to lower its dependency on its gas, oil and coal power stations.
Ms Khalmichi adds that she is also concerned that the country is exploring for natural gas off its coastline.
The Moroccan government counters that it has similar challenges to other countries that are going big on renewables, and that it needs gas to deal with the fact that the wind doesn't always blow and the sun doesn't always shine.
Mr Cherif says "there may be a role, a transition role for natural gas [in Morocco]" as the move from fossil fuels to renewables will be a gradual one over the course of decades.