Energy policy of Morocco

The United States Energy Information Administration (USEIA) reports that Morocco produces only "marginal amounts of oil, natural gas, and refined petroleum," and it has never exceeded 5,000 barrels per day.

The Moroccan Office of Hydrocarbons and Mining (ONHYM) has become optimistic about finding additional reserves – particularly offshore – following discoveries in neighboring Mauritania.

In March 2004, Calgary-based Stratic Energy committed to a three-year exploration program in two onshore blocks in northwest Morocco.

Other foreign firms engaged in exploration include Petronas, Cooper Energy NL, Shell, Total, and Tullow Oil.

Morocco's exploration of offshore and onshore oil drilling in Moroccan Sahara, which is believed to contain viable hydrocarbon reserves, has been controversial.

All eventually ended their operations in Moroccan Sahara amidst protests from the exiled Sahrawi government and pro-Sahrawi groups.

The Kerr-McGee company had been granted exploration contracts by the Moroccan government in 2001, but it withdrew in 2006, reasoning that the possible oil and gas stores were not as promising as earlier data had suggested.

Morocco has two refineries that are owned by Saudi-based Corral Holdings Societe Marocaine d’Industrie de Raffinage (Samir).

In 2004, the Mohammedia plant returned to near full-capacity output levels, following the completion of repairs needed after a severe flood and massive fire in November 2002.

In June 2005, Samir awarded a $628 million contract to modernize the Mohammedia refinery to a consortium led by Italy's Snamprogetti SpA and Turkey's Tekefen Company.

[12][13][14] Morocco's electrical sector traditionally has been controlled by the state-owned Office National de l'Electricité (ONE), which the government reorganized in 1995 in order to regain profitability.

As a result, the kingdom is "in the forefront of developing the independent power producer (IPP) model for large-scale utilities plants in North Africa.

[21] In November 2009, Morocco announced a solar energy project worth $9 billion that officials said would account for 38 percent of the North African country's installed power generation by 2020.

[25] The biggest CSP project in Morocco is Noor Solar, situated in the city of Ouarzazate, on the edge of the Sahara desert.

This Noor project is supported by a BOOT (build, own, operate and transfer) basis of ACWA Power Ouarzazate, MASEN, Aries, and TSK.

Noor I employs 500,000 parabolic mirrors to eventually generate up to 160 MW of electricity, which makes it one of the largest solar power plants in the world.

[28] Morocco has additional renewable resources that could be developed, including the country's four perennial rivers and many dams with hydroelectric potential.

Biomass is also one of the renewable sources that the country possesses in abundance, with 12,568 GWh/year and 13,055 GWh/year potential in solid bioenergy and combination of biogas and biofuels.

In September 2001, the government signed an agreement with the United States establishing the legal basis for constructing a 2-MW research reactor.

In May 2003, Moroccan representatives met with the energy ministers from other European and Mediterranean countries to discuss the feasibility of electricity market integration.