Developing energy sources, effective water management and enhanced rural power access are all on the agenda

he Rabat Chamber of Commerce is convening the fourth edition of its three-day International Renewable Energy and Water Techniques Fair on October 26. Discussions are planned on wind and solar power prospects in a nation where renewable energy makes up a scant 1 percent of total consumption. Around 90 Moroccan and foreign exhibitors are expected to attend the event at the Hilton Hotel in Rabat. “The goal is to promote national strategies for the development of renewable energies and water management,” says Omar Derraji, Rabat Chamber of Commerce President.

A number of renewable energy projects have been launched. The National Electricity Office and Spanish wind turbine generator Gamesa agreed earlier this year to begin a large wind park in Tangiers. The European Investment Bank and the German bank KfW also contributed to the project, which plans to be operational in 2009.

A separate conference to discuss electricity access to rural areas is scheduled for January 2008 in Marrakech. The International Conference on Rural Electrification will be held on 23 to 25 January at the Congress Palace. The agenda will focus on the energy challenges facing the continent, strategies for improving access to electricity, and funding policies.

The office has been involved in a rural electricity access project that made power available to nearly 90 percent of Moroccan’s rural households in 2006, up from 18 percent in 1995. Authorities expect to reach 100 percent of rural homes by year’s end.