Morocco has pledged to phase out coal-fired power generation by 2040,conditional on international support,or in the 2040s unconditionally,marking its first official coal exit timeline.
The commitment,outlined in the country’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC),follows Morocco’s 2023 decision to join the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) and signals a major shift in its energy strategy.
Alongside the coal phase-out,Morocco aims to triple renewable energy capacity to more than 15 gigawatts by 2030,expand grid infrastructure,and deploy large-scale energy storage. These measures are designed to reinforce energy security and accelerate the transition to clean power.
Coal remains Morocco’s dominant electricity source,accounting for 59.3% of generation in 2024,down from 70% in 2022. Renewables,however,are gaining ground: wind and solar supplied nearly 25% of electricity last year,up from just 9% in 2015.
Morocco is determined to “stop planning for new coal plants” and build a “value-creating economy” through clean energy,Morocco’s energy minister Leila Benali said in a statement relayed by the PPCA.
Julia Skorupska,head of the PPCA Secretariat,called the phase-out date “a crucial step” toward cheaper energy and better air quality,while climate advocate Rachid Ennassiri described the target as “a decisive evolution” in Morocco’s climate policy.
The announcement comes amid global momentum to retire coal. Renewables generated more electricity than coal worldwide for the first time this year,and additions to the global coal fleet fell to their lowest level in two decades. OECD coal generation has halved since 2015,and emerging economies such as Indonesia and South Africa are piloting early plant retirements.
United News - unews.co.za