Investigation of the feasability of renewables in meeting the Moroccan primary energy demand.

Energy is undoubtedly the driving force at the core of the development of any nation. Thereis a direct relation between per capita income and energy consumption. The way this energyis produced, supplied and consumed, affects the local and global environment and is thereforea key issue in sustainable development.The Kingdom of Morocco which is not an oil-producing country is heavily dependent onimported energy to meet its energy demand. Morocco relies on imports for nearly 90 % of itshydrocarbon needs, with the total cost of its imports fluctuating between US$1 billion andUS$1.5 billion per year. Electricity supplies are based largely on the combustion of importedcoal, which is mainly obtained from South Africa, and imported crude oil from Saudi Arabia,Iran, Iraq and Nigeria, together with electricity imports from Spain and Algeria. Thisdependence has had an unusually large impact on its economy and environment, affectingforeign exchange, the national debt and government revenues and investment budgetsaccording to the Moroccan Government.In Morocco, the renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind energy, and biomassare plentiful, widely distributed and environmentally attractive. These resources add no netcontributions to the atmospheric carbon dioxide and add no heat to the global environment.Levels of solar insolation exceed 5.00 kWhJm2/day on a horizontal plane in much of thecountry throughout much of the year, wind resources are favourable for both small scale andwind farm developments in some locations, hydro resources for micro applications are for themost part unexplored but likely to be available in the mountainous regions with goodprecipitation. Whilst bio-energy reserves are scarce throughout much of the arid and semiarid regions of the country, urban waste is abundant and offers good opportunity for processmg.The objective of this thesis is to investigate the feasibility of renewable energy sources inmeeting Morocco's primary energy demand.In this thesis, the energy, electricity, environmental and renewable energy budget forMorocco against the global backdrop is discussed and the related institutional,implementation and policy frameworks including assessment of barriers are analysed. Thethesis also addresses renewable energy resource assessment which is a prerequisite toundertake any meaningful exercise to integrate renewable energy technologies into ruralenergy plan within the overall national energy scenario in Morocco.Furthermore, a comprehensive and scientific model for all important renewable resourcessuch as solar, wind, biomass and micro-hydro throughout the country has been developed,which is a starting point for all future initiatives including private sector participation andmarket development in this sector.The proposed renewable energy plan could set Morocco on the path to a sustainable energysystem with associated economic benefits setting a model for other African and developingcountries to follow. The plan clearly contributes to the envisaged purpose of increasingrenewable energy contribution in the primary energy balance bringing significant social andenvironmental benefits into the process.Plentiful wind and solar radiation resources and the proximity to Europe put Morocco in astrong position. Import of technology from and export of electricity to Europe could becomea promlSlng strategy to limit the global greenhouse effect and to boost the Moroccan economy