Meet billions of dollars in human capital and renewable energy finance at the EneR event in November. Morocco to invest 8 billion Euros in renewables over the next 8 years.
Despite unrest in the Arab world, Morocco has remained a relatively stable environment socially and financially. As the first Arab country to make a serious government commitment to renewables for the masses – 35 percent by 2040 – it has kept true to its promise of an impressive 8 billion Euro commitment in renewable energies and energy efficiency within the next 8 years, in 2020. Investment opportunities will be on display in Casablanca in November.
Morocco’s new investment will be targeted towards reducing total energy consumption, and improving energy efficiency in public buildings, industries, and public transport, so it will be looking for business partners in these areas. In order to achieve these goals new solar panels have already begun to be installed in Morocco, and the government hopes to eventually install 400,000 square meters of sun collectors that will supply 150,000 households with energy.
There will obviously be some very lucrative and stable business deals to be made. With the help of Germany in a the framework of bilateral development cooperation, the German Government itself is overseeing some 42 million Euros of investment in Morocco’s national solar plan.
Aided by German organizers, now for the first time, investors, companies, government officials, engineers and innovators can meet in one place in Morocco. This year for the first time Morocco will host EneR, an international trade fair and expo just when the cold November rains are hitting Europe. It will take place this November 22 to 26.
At it, attendees can meet member companiesfrom the commerce and trade group Fenelec – the National Federation of Electricity, Electronics and Renewable Energies – the organizer of EneR, to be held in the international hub of Casablanca.
Based in Casablanca, Fenelec is an umbrella of 320 member companies, representing more than 95% of products and services in the Moroccan energy, electrical engineering and electronics’ sector. It includes an impressive 65,000 staff if it adds up all the employees in its member companies, while companies’ turnover exceeded 4 billion Euro last year.
The EneR Trade Fair, which comes with a free entrance, will dovetail with the country’s 6th Electricity Exposition, which will both be officially supported by the Moroccan Ministry of Energy and Mines, Water and Environment, the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and New Technologies, and the Ministry of Foreign Trade.
At the previous Electricity Expo event in 2009, some notables in attendance included big names like Philips, Schneider Electric, and Siemens. A list of current exhibitors at the EneR event can be found here (links to PDF).
European solar power heavyweight Germany will be a special guest of at the event, as it is one of Morocco’s most significant trade partners. German exhibitors will also be participating in the EneR event, which will also draw investment attention to the Destertec initiative.
Opportunities for investors?
Organizers write: “A combination of rising population, ambitious housing programs, projects such as metros and railway electrification, and the growth of desalination and energy- intensive industries means that demand for electricity is expected to continue growing rapidly in Morocco. Forecasts envisage annual average consumption growth of between 5 and 9% until 2020, excluding any electricity exports.”
Potential exhibitors are now welcome to learn more about the various options for participating in the trade fair and reserve their spots.
Next month, I will will be in Morocco speaking at an event in Rabat, and then will move on to Casablanca. I will be happy to meet with renewable energy innovators, and renewable energy companies looking to plant a stake as pioneers in Morocco’s historic moment. We hope they will set the pace and standard for the entire North African-Middle East region which is so desperately in need of a clear green vision right now.
To learn more about visit the EnerR website here.
