Mission to Morocco
Last week the AEWEN project carried out its first international mission in Morocco. The mission lasted three days, from Monday the 12th to Wednesday the 14th of December with an intensive programme and the participation of 15 European enterprises; Green City Wallonie, Greenplug Engineering, Haulogy, IDRABEL, Société Wallonne des Eaux and TRAQUA S.A. from Belgium, Energy Pool and Hydromobil Groupe HWP from France, Coesa srl and Energ Trade from Italy, Unex, Keiken, ITC and Sigma Clarifiers from Spain, and MBEGU SOLAR AB from Sweden.
On Monday 12th, Moroccan and European companies gathered in Casablanca for the opening ceremony conducted by Samid Ghailane. Catherine Delahaye, from Cluster Tweed. gave some insights into the Aewen project and gave the floor to Mr. Soulimane Kaichouh, Head of the Drinking Water Supply, Sanitation and Stormwater Reclamation Division in the Ministry of Water of Morocco. He deepened the water situation in Morocco as a water stressed country and gave an overview of the Moroccan water needs.
After a networking coffee-break, two round-tables moderated by Samid Ghailane were held. During the first one, under the headline “Water Stress in Morocco- how to react to emergencies”, the attendants could further get to know the needs of the country in terms of water. Challenges and strategies were presented by Mrs. HananeBENQLILOU, Head of the Technical Assistance Department at the International Institute of Water and Sanitation of ONEE, Mr. Soulimane KAICHOUH, Head of the Drinking Water Supply, Sanitation and Rainwater Reclamation Division and Mr. Saad AZZAOUI, Director of the Contracting Authority at Lydec.
The second round-table addressed the energy sector under the headline “Morocco goes green – Perspectives of Renewable Energies in Morocco”. The perspectives were discussed among Mr. Moundir ZNIBER, President – General Manager of Gaia Energy, Mr. Saad AZZAOUI, Director of the Contracting Authority at Lydec, Mr. Khalid SEMMAOUI, President Amisole, General Manager of GreenYellow Morocco and Mr. Amine AHMARRAS, Chief Service of Amee (Moroccan Agency for Energy efficiency) and Mrs. HananeBENQLILOU, as a representative of ONEE.
The round-tables highlighted the importance of energy supply to guarantee water access in the country and the importance of green transition. A few notable facts are that Morocco has experienced water stress for the fourth consecutive year and that the country aims to achieve 52% of renewable energy supply by 2030 thanks to the solar and wind energy potential.
After some time to exchange experiences, impressions and get to know each other, the program continued with B2Bs among European and Moroccan enterprises. The agenda concluded with a networking cocktail at the Onomo Hotel in Casablanca where all the companies were invited to participate.
The second working day was held in Rabat in the Hotel Le Divan MGallery in presence of Mr. Ali MEHREZ, Moroccan Diaspora & Strategic partnerships at AMDIE and Mr. Mhamed BEN MOKHTAR, Head of territorial offer and promotion division – Regional Investment Centre Rabat-Salé-Kenitra. They gave some insights into the Moroccan business culture and how this is an open country for investments. After these allocutions, B2B meetings were held. In the afternoon the participants visited a Wastewater Treatment plant of Lydec, Eaucean Casablanca and a power transformation plant of Lydec.
The last day of the mission was carried out in the industrial centre of Jorf Lasfar where Mr. Radi Anwar, president of CGEM and CEO Africa and Middle east of Enosis, joined the delegation to visit different industries. The first visit was the OCP-Jorf Lasfar site, one of the world largest phosphate producers. The enterprises delegation could visit some of their installations such as the desalination plant supplied by their own energy overage, with a high capacity that allows them to provide their own water needs. The second visit was to AMA detergent site, a growing detergent industry producing raw material for the biggest detergent industries in the world and their own detergent brand for the household. They shared their plans to improve its energy supply with green energy. Finally, the companies went to Taqa Morocco, an independent energy private producer. During the visit they showed how they want to move towards the green transition, for instance their plans for solar and wind energy.
This full agenda provided the EU delegation with valuable information about the energy sector, the water sector, and the business culture in Morocco. Next year, we will explore the Senegalese and Tunisian market. Stay tuned for further information!