WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

1.3.3 Morocco
Kai Whiting and Pascal Hauser, International Center on
Small Hydro Power
Key facts
Population 32,309,239 1
Area 446,550 km 2
Climate The prevalent climate is
Mediterranean, becoming more
extreme in the interior. 1
Topography
Rain Pattern
Northern coast and interior are
mountainous with large areas of
bordering plateaus, inter-montane
valleys, and rich coastal plains.
Rainfall remains low in comparison to
the northern Mediterranean
countries. The mean annual rainfall
varies between 500 mm to 2,000 mm
in the northwest, to less than 100 mm
in the southeast. 2
Electricity sector overview
The Moroccan electricity sector is governed by the
state-owned Office National de l’Électricité (ONE). The
country is the only one in the region without strong
fossil fuel reserves. Therefore, Morocco has to import
the majority of its energy. An import dependency at 96
per cent makes it vulnerable to volatile energy markets,
and puts a heavy burden on the State, which controls
energy prices through the use of subsidies. 3 Since 1996
the country has had access to Spanish energy through
two 25-km long AC submarine transmission cables
passing through the Strait of Gibraltar. 4 In 2012, the
total capacity stands at 1,400 MW with a maximum
transfer capacity of 700 MVA. There are post-2020 plans
for further reinforcement, by adding a third of the
submarine AC cable with the same characteristics of the
ones previously installed. This would enable a total
thermal capacity of 2,100 MW, while maximum transfer
capability could reach 1,400 MVA. 5
Morocco’s only other interconnection for energy
imports is with neighbouring Algeria, but at a lower
capacity of 800 MW. With no plans yet to develop
further, this heightens Morocco’s dependency on the
Spanish electricity sector. 6
Coal power plants, fuelled by imported hard coal, form
the backbone of the country’s generation system at 1.8
GW installed capacity (figure 1). About 12 per cent of
Morocco’s electricity demand is currently supplied by
open cycle and combined cycle gas power generation,
and this share is expected to rise with additional
combined cycle power plants coming online in the near
future. Liquid fuels (used in diesel- or oil-fired steam
plants) still provide 13 per cent of the country’s total
demand, but the use of these energy resources is
expected to decrease in the long-term due to escalating
oil prices. The share of hydropower, is set to decline in
the future due to its limited expansion possibilities. 7 The
existing interconnection with Spanish electricity grid is
responsible for a 4,595 GWh import and an 8 GWh
export. 8 Electricity imports constituted 17 per cent of
Morocco’s electricity provision in 2011. 9
Wind 2%
Gas
11%
Hydro
13%
Imported electricity
15%
Oil
17%
Coal
41%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Figure 1 Electricity generation in Morocco
Source: Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and the
Environment 10
Note: Data from 2010.
Although electricity consumption per capita remains low
(480 kWh per person/year), the overall electricity
demand has grown by approximately 6-8 per cent
annually since 2000. A key issue that ONE is steadily
addressing is energy poverty. The electrification rate is
around 98 per cent, with 100 per cent in urban areas. 11
Currently, the majority energy demand in non-grid
connected rural areas is satisfied through firewood,
placing significant pressure on vegetation use. 12 The rate
of rural electrification was only 18 per cent in 1995, but
rose steadily to 96.8 per cent by the end of 2010. 11 Solar
power is being targeted as a secure form of energy and
as a national way to minimize the problem of electricity
access. 13
Small hydropower sector overview and potential
A century rainfall data analysis shows that the climate of
Morocco is principally characterized by drought. 14
Nationally, spring rainfall has declined by over 40 per
cent since 1960s. Drought seems to become more
persistent over time. The maximum dry spell length is
increasing during the rainy season. During the period
end of February to April 2012 it has increased by 15 days
compared to the same period in the 1960s, placing
pressure on drinking water supplies and hydropower.
The annual mean of rainfall varies from more than 1,000
mm per year in the mountains zones in the North to less
than 300 mm in the East and the South basins of the
country. 15
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