Morocco has built one of Africa’s most developed renewable energy programs, but its transition remains incomplete. Large solar complexes and wind farms have changed the country’s installed power base, while new investment plans place renewable electricity at the center of future growth. Yet coal still supplies much of Morocco’s actual electricity generation, creating a wide gap between clean-energy capacity and the energy delivered to consumers.
That contrast defines renewable energy in Morocco. The country is no longer testing whether solar and wind can operate at scale. Its next task is to connect much larger volumes of renewable generation, manage their variability and use clean electricity to reduce fuel imports, support industry and create new export sectors.
Renewables Have Become an Energy-Security Strategy
Morocco has limited domestic fossil-fuel production and has traditionally depended heavily on imported coal, oil and natural gas. Renewable energy therefore serves an economic and strategic purpose as well as a climate objective. Every unit of domestic wind or solar electricity can reduce exposure to international fuel prices and strengthen the country’s control over its energy supply.
By the end of 2024, Moroccan officials reported approximately 5.5 gigawatts of installed renewable capacity, equal to about 45.5% of total national power capacity. Renewable sources contributed roughly 27% of electricity production during the year. Morocco continues to target a renewable share of more than 52% of installed capacity by 2030.[1]
Installed capacity, however, does not tell the entire story. Coal reportedly produced 59.3% of Morocco’s electricity in 2024, although this was lower than its share two years earlier. Renewable plants must therefore expand faster than electricity demand while also replacing output from existing thermal stations. Morocco has stopped planning new coal plants and has indicated that a complete phase-out could occur around 2040 if sufficient international climate finance becomes available.[2]
Wind Power Is Already Morocco’s Renewable Workhorse
Morocco is often associated with large desert solar projects, but wind power currently makes the greater contribution to renewable electricity production. Strong and relatively consistent winds are available along the Atlantic coast, near the Strait of Gibraltar and across several inland corridors.
Installed wind capacity reached about 2,451 megawatts by the end of 2024, compared with approximately 928 megawatts of solar capacity. Standardized IRENA data for 2023 show wind producing around 6,561 gigawatt-hours, or 16% of Morocco’s total electricity. Solar contributed approximately 641 gigawatt-hours, while hydropower supplied about 353 gigawatt-hours.[3]
This difference reflects more than installed capacity. Morocco’s strongest wind sites can operate for a greater portion of the year than solar plants and can continue generating after sunset. Wind farms such as Tarfaya have demonstrated that utility-scale projects can serve both the national grid and large industrial consumers.
Wind development also accelerated during 2024. IRENA recorded approximately 319 megawatts of net new wind capacity, compared with 97 megawatts of new solar. Future projects are likely to remain concentrated in coastal and southern areas where the resource is strongest, but this geography increases the need for transmission lines connecting generation zones with Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier and other major demand centers.[3]
Noor Ouarzazate Established Morocco as a Solar Market
The Noor Ouarzazate complex remains the most recognized symbol of Morocco’s renewable energy strategy. Its approximately 580 megawatts of capacity combine concentrated solar power and photovoltaic technologies at a major site near Ouarzazate.[4]
Concentrated solar power uses mirrors to produce heat, which can be stored and converted into electricity after direct sunlight declines. This gave Noor Ouarzazate a strategic value beyond its nameplate capacity: it demonstrated that solar energy could provide more predictable output than a conventional daytime-only photovoltaic project.
The complex also helped Morocco develop experience in international financing, public-private partnerships, project procurement and the operation of large renewable facilities. Masen, the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy, emerged as the central institution overseeing this development model.
The next phase of Moroccan solar power is likely to contain a larger share of photovoltaic generation. Solar PV is generally faster and less expensive to construct than concentrated solar power, while batteries can increasingly provide some of the flexibility previously associated with thermal storage. Hybrid developments, including the Noor Midelt program, are intended to combine high-volume solar generation with technologies that improve output during periods of peak demand.
Smaller commercial and industrial installations also have an expanding role. Morocco’s factories, mines, fertilizer plants and logistics facilities can use renewable electricity to control energy costs and meet the carbon requirements of international customers. This industrial market may become as important as conventional utility procurement.
The Grid Is Now Morocco’s Largest Renewable Project
Building additional wind and solar plants will not be enough to complete Morocco’s transition. The country must also reinforce transmission networks, add storage and maintain enough flexible generation to balance changes in renewable output.
Morocco’s 2025–2030 investment program calls for approximately $12 billion in power-sector spending. Plans include 15,672 megawatts of new generating capacity, of which 12,445 megawatts—about 80%—would come from renewable sources. The renewable portion alone is expected to require around $10 billion in investment.[1]
A further $3 billion is planned for transmission-network reinforcement. Officials have also identified approximately 1,500 megawatts of battery storage and 3,200 megawatts of new natural-gas capacity as sources of flexibility.[1]
These investments address an important difference between renewable capacity and renewable generation. A wind or solar project may be technically complete but unable to deliver its full output when transmission lines are congested or electricity demand is low. Storage can retain excess power for later use, while stronger regional connections can move electricity between different parts of the country.
Hydropower and pumped-storage facilities also provide balancing services, although Morocco’s conventional hydroelectric output is vulnerable to rainfall conditions and prolonged drought. This makes a diversified combination of wind, solar, batteries, pumped storage, interconnection and flexible generation more valuable than dependence on any single technology.
Green Hydrogen Could Reshape the Scale of Development
Morocco’s renewable plans extend beyond the domestic electricity market. The government’s “Morocco Offer” is designed to attract integrated green hydrogen projects covering renewable generation, electrolysis, industrial processing, storage and export infrastructure.[5]
Green hydrogen is produced by using renewable electricity to separate hydrogen from water. It can then be used directly or converted into products such as ammonia, methanol and synthetic fuels. Morocco already has a large fertilizer and chemical industry, providing a potential domestic market for renewable hydrogen and green ammonia.
The government reported in 2025 that approximately 40 national and international business groups had expressed interest in the program and that seven groups had been shortlisted. The offer is intended to provide developers with greater clarity regarding land, ports, transmission, storage and supporting infrastructure.[1]
The scale of these projects could create a new source of demand for Moroccan wind and solar power. It could also connect renewable development with fertilizer production, maritime fuels, steel, chemicals and exports to Europe.
However, proposed hydrogen projects should not be treated as operating energy assets. Their development will depend on long-term buyers, electricity costs, desalination capacity, environmental approvals, port construction and access to finance. Producing hydrogen also requires significantly more renewable electricity than using that electricity directly. Morocco must therefore ensure that export-oriented projects expand the overall supply of clean power rather than competing with domestic consumers for limited generation.
Morocco’s Location Supports a Broader Energy Role
Morocco’s position between the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, Europe and West Africa gives its renewable sector a regional dimension. The country is already electrically connected with Europe through Spain and is considering additional links and energy partnerships that could support cross-border trade.
Renewable electricity exports may become possible during periods of surplus production, while interconnection can also help Morocco balance its grid by importing power when domestic supply is tight. Future trade may include electricity, hydrogen derivatives and manufactured products created with low-carbon energy.
Ports will be particularly important. Green ammonia, methanol and other hydrogen-based products are easier to ship than pure hydrogen, making Morocco’s established port and industrial infrastructure a potential competitive advantage. The country may therefore develop as a producer, processor and logistics hub rather than simply an exporter of renewable electricity.
Morocco’s Renewable Outlook
Morocco has moved beyond the early stage of renewable development. Wind and solar are now major components of installed capacity, and the country has created institutions capable of procuring and financing large projects. The challenge is converting this expanding capacity into a much larger share of annual electricity production.
Progress through 2030 will depend on the speed of transmission construction, storage deployment and project financing. Morocco must also manage the retirement of coal generation while meeting rising demand from cities, factories, desalination plants and new industries.
If the planned buildout is completed, Morocco could reduce its dependence on imported fuel, strengthen its industrial competitiveness and become an important supplier of low-carbon products. The outcome will be determined less by the quality of its renewable resources than by its ability to build the grid, storage and commercial markets needed to use them.
