It was Aziz Akhannouch who represented King Mohammed VI at the Italy-Africa Summit held in Rome. During his intervention in the panel on "Energy, Security, and Mobility," the Head of Moroccan Government demonstrated how the Kingdom of Morocco has become a global beacon in renewable energies, thanks to the vision of its Sovereign.
Speaking at a panel on "Energy, Security, and Mobility" organized as part of the "Italy-Africa Summit: A bridge for common growth," Aziz Akhannouch affirmed that the Kingdom has been a regional and African leader in renewable energies for 15 years. This leadership has been strengthened through the commitment to the development of green hydrogen and the implementation of the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline initiative, which will contribute to the energy security of West Africa and the European Union.
In this regard, he recalled that, thanks to the vision of His Majesty the King, Morocco launched its first renewable energy development strategy in 2009, leading to the commissioning of the first solar complex in Ouarzazate. "Today, we have a production of 560 kWh, and we also have three large solar projects that should be operational no later than early 2027 in the Midelt region," said the head of Moroccan Government.
Renewable energies now represent more than 40% of the energy mix, and Morocco aims to reach a share of 52% by 2030, he noted.
Likewise, the Kingdom aims to capitalize on its natural resources, strategic geographical positioning, and human capital to develop the green hydrogen sector, stating that "Morocco is favorably positioned on the world map of hydrogen."
The the head of Moroccan Government also indicated that Morocco is acting to decarbonize the world of tomorrow and contribute to the energy security of Africa, emphasizing the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline project as "a model of regional integration based on a common vision."
This ambitious project is expected to accelerate the electrification of certain countries and promote the agricultural and industrial development of the region through access to competitive energy, thereby improving the living conditions of the populations, Aziz Akhannouch declared.
Furthermore, he argued that "the need to build strong alliances between reliable partners is more urgent today" in the current context marked by successive crises, expressing confidence that Italy can contribute to the development of African countries, particularly through cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, training, energy, security, education, health, and immigration.