Germany and Morocco deepen cooperation
Katherina Reiche, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry, has highlighted the importance of solar power from Morocco for the future energy supply of Morocco as well as for Europe and Germany. "Morocco is a key partner for the development and implementation of the Mediterranean Solar Plan and the Desertec Initiative, which have the approval and support of the German government”, Parliamentary State Secretary Reiche said on the occasion of the opening of the conference "Morocco - a partner country for renewable energies" in Berlin.
The German government’s Energy Concept places particular emphasis on cooperation between Germany and North African countries. According to scenarios on energy supply up to 2050, Germany will import a certain share of renewable electricity, for example from countries in Northern Africa, to benefit from cost advantages due to high levels of sunshine in countries such as Morocco. In order to facilitate schemes like this in the medium to long term, Article 9 of the EU Directive on energy from renewable sources, adopted in 2009, provides a framework which needs to be fleshed out with specific agreements. “We will develop a strategy this year and discuss it with other EU members and with Morocco", Katherina Reiche commented in the presence of Morocco’s Energy Minister Amina Benkhadra. Both signed a joint declaration of cooperation.
The German Environment Ministry had commissioned the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) to conduct three studies on concentrating solar power and thus provided key scientific foundations for the Desertec vision of promoting innovation, employment and economic growth through renewable electricity from the desert, both in North African countries and in Europe. "The win-win situation arising from the establishment of European companies in Morocco and the research platforms to develop the technologies further and thus reduce costs for all parties is very important to us", stressed the Parliamentary State Secretary.