The National Office of electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) initiated a battery storage project by batteries with a cumulative capacity of 1,600 megawattheures (MWH), in order to strengthen the stability of the Moroccan national electrical network. This initiative responds to the need to balance the supply and demand in electricity, in a context of the rise of solar and wind production.
A device spread over several strategic sites
The ONEE strategy provides for a multisite establishment of storage facilities, with identified localities such as Kenitra, Settat and Al Massira. The operational objective is to absorb intermittencies inherent in renewable sources and to smooth consumption tips which exert increasing pressure on the electrical system. The introduction of these capacities would reduce imbalances between production and demand on short time steps.
The Crown Corporation has launched an appeal for expressions of interest in order to identify industrial and financial partners likely to contribute to the implementation of the project. This procedure aims to integrate actors capable of providing proven technical solutions, while ensuring the economic viability of the program.
A response to the growing tension on the network
The increase in renewable production in Morocco, which is largely based on solar and wind facilities, poses a structural challenge in terms of network reliability. Unpredictable fluctuations in electrical supply create balancing difficulties, particularly sensitive in areas with high industrial activity.
The use of batteries storage is part of an infrastructure investment logic intended to secure the country’s energy food. For companies, especially in the manufacturing sectors, the regularity of the supply is a determining factor in competitiveness. The project is thus part of a broader framework of evolution of the Moroccan energy model, which now incorporates flexibility as an essential component.
