Background:
Morocco enjoys a
significant solar potential that amounts to more than 3,000 hours per year of
sunshine, namely radiation of more than 5.6 KW per hour, per square meter and
per day. The agricultural sector accounts for about 8 % of national
energy consumption, concentrated mainly at the level of the irrigation
equipment.
Solar pumping is
an alternative for the existing irrigation systems, it is a source of clean,
renewable and inexpensive energy. Hence the
importance of developing this sector without putting pressure on water
resources.
The Agency, in
partnership with the GEF, is developing a project to support the National Solar Pumps Program,
which aims to disseminate solar pumping systems for agricultural irrigation
purposes in order to replace existing pumps that use subsidized gas.
Goal :
This program aims at:
- Sensitization and
capacity building of the different stakeholders;
- Development of
financing mechanisms facilitating the acquisition of photovoltaic pumping
systems;
- Proposing
incentives to facilitate the acquisition and installation of solar pumping
systems (tax cuts, and customs exemptions on imports)
- Working for the
creation of energy service companies operating in the field in order to ensure
the sustainability of these techniques.
- Standardization of
solar facilities for irrigation.
Achievements
v Study for the structuring of
the support to the solar pumping market in Morocco
As part of the national solar pumps program, a study is underway which aims
at:
Ø The analysis of the state of the solar pumping
market in terms of technological offering, technical configurations, and commercial
and value chain ;
Ø The development of a process for the
implementation of a quality benchmark of equipment and services related to PPV
applications, through a benchmark of international programs ;
Ø The development of appropriate financing
mechanisms and incentives to provide incentives to farmers that would allow
them to acquire solar pumps in good conditions.
Ø Structuring of the service offerin in the PPV
field.
v Organization of thematic
workshops on solar pumping in the cities of Beni Mellal and Oujda
v Media capsule (vignette),
extension guide, training of trainers.
