Is Morocco the Mediterranean's

Green Energy Savior?

With Tunisia and Algeria

eager but bogged down by political and infrastructure issues and Libya a question mark as far as stability is concerned, all eyes have fallen on Morocco to prove that renewables can work. Even Egypt, with solar and wind projects underway and promised, will be looking to Rabat for guidance, said Thiemo Gropp, Director of Desertec Foundation, an energy initiative aimed at developing a renewable market across the Southern Mediterranean.

500MW - $3bn

A planned $2.8 billion concentrated solar project, meant to produce

500 MW and scheduled to start construction this year

Currently dependent on imports for 97 percent of its energy needs, Morocco ....

Fouad Douiri, Morocco’s newly appointed Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and the Environment.....

Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN)

Desertec (german) and Transgeen (french)

increase the country’s installed renewable energy capacity from the current 26% to 42% by 2020 (14% from solar, 14 % from wind and 14% from hydropower).

source:forbes.com