Morocco’s state-owned utility company ONEE is set to supply manufacturers in the automotive industry with green energy.
Dubbed the “National Master Plan for Electric Mobility,” the initiative is a step towards Morocco’s aspiration of a carbon-neutral industry. The plan is also set to pave the way for the development of sustainable transport in the Kingdom of Morocco, according to a report from news outlet Afrik21.
The plan will be implemented by 2023, and is the result of cooperation between ONEE, the Institut de la Francophonie pour le Developpement Durable (IFDD), and the Global Sustainable Energy Partnership (GSEP), the report specifies.
Through the initiative, ONEE aims to assess the energy need within the sector in three stages. “The study should lead to proposals for an appropriate regulatory framework and a medium- and long-term reinforcement plan for both electricity production and the distribution network,” ONEE’s Sales and Marketing Director, Elamine Fechtali reportedly said.
The ONEE plan is in line with Morocco’s transition strategy to electric car (EV) manufacturing. While the country is already Africa’s largest car manufacturer, failing to transition to EV manufacturing could see the country losing its largest customer, the European Union.
ALSO READ: Morocco present their new green investment plan to boost Low-Carbon Economy
The EU is set to ban the imports of cars with combustion engines starting in 2035, giving Morocco a little more than a decade to implement its agenda.
Morocco set an annual an annual target of 1 million EV units, with other targets involving boosting the country’s supply chain for EV manufacturing to minimize dependency on car parts imports.
While the country has moderate cobalt reserves – a key component in electric car manufacturing-, it offers an ideal alternative to investors in Africa away from larger reserves in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that are steeped in reports of child labor.
In 2021, French car manufacturer Renault struck a deal with mining company Manage to secure Moroccan-sourced cobalt.
SOURCE: Morocco news
