At the Warsaw Security Conference on Monday, September 29, Morocco's Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, presented the Kingdom's experience and strategic vision for energy transition, launched by King Mohammed VI in 2009. She emphasized that Morocco views the transition not as an external constraint, as in some European countries, but as a national strategic choice built on the «energy triangle» of diversification, efficiency, and renewables, a stable approach that has delivered results over the years. Benali highlighted that Morocco surpassed 45% of installed electricity capacity from renewable sources in 2024 and is on track to reach 52% before 2030. Stressing that energy security and sustainability are «two sides of the same coin», she underlined that the two are no longer in conflict in today's world. She also recalled Morocco's swift response to the 2021 halt of gas flows through the Maghreb–Europe pipeline, noting that close cooperation with Spain enabled a rapid reversal of flows to secure the country's energy supply. The minister pointed to Morocco's achievement of a 99.8% electrification rate nationwide, while acknowledging that this effort came at the expense of investment in networks, an issue the government has been addressing since 2021. On interconnections, she stressed that Morocco remains the only African country linked reciprocally with Europe in electricity and gas, describing this as a non-negotiable pillar of shared Mediterranean energy security. Benali further called for the creation of a «new energy alliance», modeled on the historic European coal and steel pact, but this time focused on clean energy, stressing that «the sun does not choose where it shines, and markets do not choose where they develop». She concluded that Morocco is committed to strengthening its role as a key connector between Africa and Europe, to provide sustainable, secure, and affordable energy for both regions.
