Due to its abundant wind and sunlight resources, the Dakhla region of Morocco continues to attract foreign investment
UK investors insist on Dakhla’s energy potential
Enrique Fernández
PHOTO/GUILLERMO LÓPEZ/ATALAYAR – Dajla, Morocco
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PHOTO/GUILLERMO LÓPEZ/ATALAYAR – Dakhla, Morocco
23/JUL./23
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During a two-day visit to the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region in southern Morocco to look for investment opportunities, a group of British investors has focused on the region’s abundant renewable energy potential.
One of the first options that Europe seems to be considering to alleviate the effects of the energy crisis that has plagued the continent for more than a year is Morocco. There is an urgent need for new energy sources as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The blockade against Russia has forced European nations to look for alternatives that could prevent the crisis from worsening.
AFP/ABDELHAK SENNA – Parque eólico de Morocco
AFP/ABDELHAK SENNA – Mooccan wind farm
As the lack of fossil fuels in the country has made green energy more necessary, the Kingdom has been working on a number of initiatives to promote it. However, this rapid advancement of renewable energy sources is now seen as a fantastic opportunity for Morocco and Europe to forge closer ties.
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The delegation, led by Brannan Tempest, CEO of Oblin Group, which specialises in the engineering and construction of solar photovoltaic and wind energy systems, headed to the area to learn more about important development projects and the status of their implementation.
AFP/FADEL SENNA – Una vista aérea de los espejos solares de la planta de energía solar concentrada Noor 1, próxima a la ciudad de Ouarzazate
AFP/FADEL SENNA – An aerial view of the solar mirrors of the Noor 1 concentrated solar power plant, near the city of Ouarzazate
The wali of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region and governor of the province of Oued Eddahab, Lamine Benomar, hosted a meeting ith the British delegation on the first day of their trip. The discussion at the meeting focused on the progress the area has made in several areas thanks to the New Development Model for the southern provinces of Morocco.
Morocco increases the contribution of renewable energies to its electricity mix and develops new clean energy projects
The president of the Regional Council of Dakhla-Oued, Eddahab El Khattat Yanja, also met with the British investors and highlighted the significant progress made in the area. Yanja emphasised Morocco’s initiatives to improve the region’s business climate in a statement to the media.
AFP/DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS – La ministra marroquí de Transición Energética y Desarrollo Sostenible, Leila Benali
AFP/DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS – Moroccan Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali
He stressed that these investments would make a significant contribution to the economy of Dakhla-Oued Eddahab and generate employment opportunities for loals, saying that the British delegation “expressed its intention to carry out major investment projects in the region with significant budget allocations”. However, excluding hydropower, renewables accounted for 16.1% of Morocco’s energy mix in 2022, motivating the Moroccan government to create new projects.
“We are ready to launch our project. It will create around 5,000 jobs”, Brannan Tempest, CEO of Oblin Group.
For his part, Tempest emphasised his readiness to discover promising investment opportunities in Dakhla’s expanding renewable energy sector. In Morocco’s southern provinces, we intend to initiate a substantial renewable energy project that will produce green hydrogen and ammonia, he said, citing Dakhla’s welcoming investment environment, as well as the region’s abundance of wind and sunlight.
PHOTO/ARCHIVO – Producción de hidrógeno verde en Morocco
PHOTO/ARCHIVO – Green hydrogen production in Morocco
According to Tempest, Oblin Group will commit a considerable amount o funds to the project and will create a new green industrial zone that will benefit companies that manufacture solar photovoltaic panels and wind turbine blades. Investors looking to set up operations in Africa and import goods to European markets find Dakhla in Morocco, which is strategically located on the country’s Atlantic coast, particularly attractive. According to Oxford Business Group, Dakhla was heavily dependent on agriculture and fisheries as of 2020, with fisheries accounting for 27% of the region’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
Dakhla’s GDP per capita compared to the nation as a whole was 1.3% in 2019, despite its small population of only 537,000. Due to the country’s ambitious plan to increase green hydrogen, solar and wind production capacity, renewable energy has recently emerged in Morocco as one of the three most promising markets to attract investment. The ultimate goal is for these green energies to account for more than 52% of the country’s electricity productionby 2030.