Renewable energy more available in Morocco with rising share in power structure

---The share of renewable energy in Morocco's electric power production reached 34 percent by the end of 2017, local media reported on Saturday.

Citing Mustapha Bakkoury, the managing director of the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy, Le36.ma news site said Morocco is on track to achieve its goals of producing 42 percent of its electrical power from renewable energy by 2020 and 52 percent by 2030.

After launching production in the first phase of the world's largest solar power in the southern city of Ouarzazate last year, the three other phases of this solar complex will be operational later this year, the same source revealed.

The solar complex is expected to generate 580 megawatts by 2020, and provide electricity to over a million homes.

In addition, Morocco will expand two other smaller solar plants in the southern cities of Laayoune and Boujdour this year as well, he noted.

As for wind power production, Bakkoury said this year will witness the start of production in several farms with a total production of 300 megawatts, adding that new other projects will be launched as well to boost solar and wind capacity in the kingdom's energy mix.

On Friday, Morocco's King Mohammed VI chaired a working session on the implementation of renewable energy projects, calling for accelerating the kingdom's ambitious strategy in this field.

(Source: Xinhua)