Sahara Wind at the 3rd International Symposium on Innovation and Technology in The Phosphate Industry Marrakech, May 18-20th 2015.

The International Symposium on Innovation and Technology in the Phosphate Industry (SYMPHOS) is a biennial event of worldwide reference dedicated to all the industry key players of phosphates and derivatives industry. This highly technological and scientific event aims to honour innovation, technology, trends in upgrading Processes of phosphates and derivatives, Research and development perspectives for the phosphate sector.

SYMPHOS is an exchange platform for different stakeholders operating in the mining industry, phosphates beneficiation, chemical processing, sulfur and sulfuric acid Production, ammonia, fertilizers, biotechnology, phosphate materials, and corrosion protection systems. It also adresses food safety issues and environmental stakes related to industrial exploitation and development of innovative Processes.

Sahara Wind at the UfM Informal Ministerial Conference on Climate Change, May 7th 2015 in Skhirat, Morocco

Along with its Mediterranean counterparts, Miguel Arias Cañete, Member of the EC in charge of Climate Action and Energy, took part to the Union for Mediterranean (UfM) Informal Ministerial Conference on Climate Change, in Skhirat (Morocco). This conference dealt with the objectives to submit at the COP 21 Summit, to be held in Paris in September 2015.

Sahara Wind présente "De la genèse des phosphates à la sécurité alimentaire mondiale: une troisième révolution industrielle est en marche" à l’École Nationale des Sciences Appliquées de Khouribga le 21 Avril 2015.

Attenante à l’un plus grands gisements de phosphates au monde, cette présentation effectuée à l’ENSA-Khouribga démontre le lien entre les vents alizés issus de la rotation de la terre et de ses différences de températures avec son empreinte paléontologique fossile. Celle-ci représente les plus grands gisements de phosphates au monde. Les synergies entre la transformation durable de ceux-ci en fertilisants permettra l’avènement de la troisième révolution industrielle.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA) held a Meeting on the Water-Energy-Food Security Nexus in the Arab Region, on March 23-25th 2015 in Amman, Jordan.

With the Arab Launch of the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Energy for All (http://www.se4all.org/) 2014-2024, the Sahara Wind project was presented to the Expert Group Meeting on the Water-Energy-Food Security Nexus in the Arab Region, on March 24th 2015 in Amman, Jordan.

To stimulate dialogue on efficient renewable energy policy schemes, the Sahara Wind Project presented the Economic Impacts of Renewable Energies during the World Future Energy Summit.

At the invitation of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and in partnership with the European Investment Bank (EIB), Sahara Wind took part in a joint IRENA-EIB workshop aimed at “Evaluating renewable energy manufacturing potential in the Mediterranean Partner Countries”. Prior to that, on January 19th 2015, Sahara Wind shared its regional capacity building experiences aimed at leveraging local value-creation to maximize the impacts and benefits of renewable energies in North Africa. The discussion took place during a joint IRENA-GIZ workshop focused on “The Socio-economic Benefits of Solar and Wind Energy”. During these events, representatives of regional bodies, ministries, financial institutions, private sector and development partners interacted with keys actors involved in the Renewable Energy supply chains to foster local manufacturing at local and regional levels. The World Future Energy Summit was held from January 19-22nd 2015 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The Sahara Wind Project presented at the Round Table Discussion on “100% Renewable Energy: Boosting development in Morocco” by the Climate Parliament, World Future Council and 100% Renewables, Nov. 22-23 2014 in Rabat, Morocco.

In a round table discussion hosted by the WFC and Climate Parliament in November 2014, 30 Moroccan policy makers identified key challenges for the country’s renewable energy industry. The main ones are Economic and financial barriers restricting the entry to capital markets, lack of accessible financial support for small scale projects that would facilitate private consumers to install RE technologies, market failures and imperfections, where fossil fuels are still heavily subsidized (equivalent to 5.1 per cent of GDP in 2011). Political, institutional/ governance and regulatory barriers, were also listed including a lack of stable and coherent regulations, a lack of cooperation across governance levels and institutions, as well as a strong lobby in favor of existing fossil fuel-based energy monopolies.

The “100% Renewable Energy: boosting Development in Morocco” report provides an analysis on the current situation of the energy sector of Morocco and derives policy recommendations for a just transition towards a 100% Renewable Energy.

Sahara Wind at the 5th Global Entrepreneurship Summit November 19-21 2014 in Marrakech, Morocco.

The Global Entrepreneurship Summit was launched by United States President Barack Obama in 2009 as a global platform “to empower entrepreneurs with skills and resources necessary to compete and thrive in the 21st century”. Held under the theme “Harnessing the power of technology for Innovation and Entrepreneurship”, the 5th edition of GES took place in Marrakech, Morocco from 19-21 November 2014. This event provided an opportunity to celebrate entrepreneurs from around the world and a platform for the exchange of innovative ideas. Central to support entrepreneurs in their ability to unlock the economic potential of entire nations and lift people out of poverty, Morocco as host country, took this opportunity to make the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2014 a call for action for global investors to finance new businesses and projects.

Sahara Wind contributes to Forum MEDAYS in Tangier, November 12-15 2014.

During the event, Khalid Benhamou, Managing Director of Sahara Wind chaired two Forum sessions; namely the ‘Global Economy Outlook: Looking at The Emerging Markets’ and "Climate Changes: Towards a New Global Framework?" at the Forum MEDAYS in Tangier, Morocco.

  

Sahara Wind at the Ministerial Conference Italy-Africa: Working Together for a Sustainable Energy Future on October 13-14th 2014

On the occasion of the Italian Presidency of the EU, together with the Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) and in cooperation with the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE), the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a Dialogue session of the private sector working in off-grid renewable energy. The forum brought together major European and African private sector practitioners to discuss pertinent issues with regard to investing in Africa's renewable energy market. This event premiered the Africa Energy Outlook of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and a technical workshop on "How to deal with risks in the African energy sector". The conference saw the participation of main international energy institutions like IEA, IRENA, UN agencies, and global initiatives such as the UN Sustainable Energy for All.

The conference was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Piazzale della Farnesina 1, Rome, Italy. 

Sahara Wind at the European Commission's Workshop on Empowering Rural Electrification of September 29-30th 2014 in Brussels, Belgium. 

As a leader in the global drive to provide access to modern sustainable energy services the European Commission is launching a profound examination of new financial opportunities to support Rural Electrification. In a two day Workshop hosted by the EC in Brussels on 29-30 September, 2014, a variety of stakeholders had the opportunity to discuss new possibilities for providing financial support to Rural Electrification projects through a joint effort by the private sector and civil society organisations. They also shared experiences and to identify common practices. One of the objectives was to identify successful business models for an accelerated roll-outof energy access in rural communities.

The conference was organized by the Directorate General for Development and Cooperation – EuropeAid

The Sahara Wind Project's resource-backed inclusive access to the Atlantic Trade Winds presented at the International Energy Agency in Paris on July 02, 2014.

The presentation covered regional capacity building activities, wind measurements, green campuses, Africa’s first wind hydrogen systems and industrial synergies enhancing resource efficiencies. The project phasing and its HVDC transmission architecture was presented as well. As Morocco holds 71% of the world's phosphate reserves -a key ingredient in the fertilizer industries- the presentation focused on the initial phases of the Sahara Wind project and the decoupling of these industries from fossil fuels through the development of sustainable hydrogen production technologies. Energy transition prospects through the access of the significant trade wind resource on a regional basis were elaborated with subsequent positive effects on regional electricity markets.

Sahara Wind at the coordination center of the European CORESO electricity network, June 23, 2014

Sahara Wind took part in the 'Best Practices in European Smart Grids' Workshop. At the end of this Workshop, Khalid Benhamou of Sahara Wind visits the CORESO coordination center of the European electricity network in Brussels, Belgium