AfDB approves €245mn to improve electricity transmission in Morocco’s rural areas

The African Development Bank's Board of Directors have approved around 245 million euros in funding for the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water. The objective is to pursue its program of development of electricity transmission and rural electrification networks.

The program is aimed to contribute to augment the transit capacity of the interconnected national grid. Its strategic objective is to improve the safety and efficiency of the supply of electrical energy as well as the overall technical performance of the national electricity system.

"This is a strategic program for Morocco. An operation of primary importance for the Bank. Developing an even more reliable electricity transmission network will enable the kingdom to meet energy demand, growing at an average rate of around 5 percent over the last decade. This is a dynamic that will promote an even greener energy mix," Mohamed El Azizi, the African Development Bank's Managing Director for the North Africa region.

The program is intended to contribute to augmenting the transit capacity of the interconnected national grid. Its strategic objective is to improve the safety and efficiency of the supply of electrical energy as well as the overall technical performance of the national electricity system. It guarantees the insertion of the additional electricity production that will be generated by the means of production of solar and wind sources under development, and the transport of this clean energy to all areas of consumption.

The partnership between Morocco and the African Development Bank has lasted more than half a century and covers different strategic sectors, including transport, energy, water and sanitation, agriculture and social development.