Renewable energy and Hungarian opportunities in Morocco

According to globoport.hu, just a few years ago Morocco was pitied for its energy economy, since the Western-African country imports 94% of the energy and 100% of the fossil energy (coal and hydrocarbons) needed.

After achieving independence industrial and urban needs were covered by outdated and wasteful imported oil, while the countryside almost ha no access to electricity.

King Hassan II constructed water power plants, and his successor, Mohammad VI signed the DESERTEC program with Germany to relieve the European energy hunger at the time. The Germans promised the deployment of a 2,000 MW wind power plant and a 2,000 MW solar power plant worth 10 billion EUR – this project was mocked as “recolonization” by its critics – to supply the European Union.

Eventually, DESERTEC program was canceled in 2014, because the EU realized how it has a surplus of renewable energy while Morocco has been profiting from it. They began to export energy to Europe, globoport.hu wrote.

Morocco could improve its energy efficiency: they can spare nearly 1000 MW energy, which is 12% of the total power plant capacity. This is half the output of the Paks nuclear power plant in Hungary.

The country already has 30 pieces of wind farms with a performance of 300 MW individually, and the wind blows every day on the 3000 km long coast of Morocco 24/7. That means they can export energy very cheaply.

However, according to globoport.hu, there are some shortcomings as well. The core network has a very low voltage (220 KV), while 750 KV or 1200 KV would be needed. Hungary has 750 KV power lines (but they are being reduced to 440 KV), so the country could use the experience to build 1000 km power line in Morocco. Another problem is the lack of power storage.

Dr. Jozsef Steier, representative of the Hungarian Trade and Cultural Centre (HTCC) and the Moroccan Hungarian Business Council (CAMH) – the writer of the article – presented a proposal to overcome these problems.

Meanwhile, El Noor I – the first concentrated solar power plant complex of Africa – has been built. The aim is to generate 40% of the country’s energy need from renewable energy sources (REN). There is also a green project in Morocco called Green Morocco plan.

If anybody is interested in the topic, it is advised to take part in the 23^rd International Energy and Innovation Forumin Visegrad on 17 to 19 February 2016 (www.foenergetikus.hu), where Dr. Jozsef Steier gives a lecture. It is also worth attending the 2^nd Budapest Sahara Scientists Summit on May 20-21, 2016, which will by organized by the African-Hungarian Union, BKIK and SUNWO Zrt. (www.sunwo.eu).

Copy editor: bm

Source: http://www.globoport.hu