Sahara Wind at the COP22 in Marrakech, November 7-18 2016.

Hosted by Morocco the 22th Conference of the Parties (COP22) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) gathered delegates from 197 Parties to the Convention. Dubbed “The COP of Action”, COP22 took over the reins from COP21 and The Paris Agreement signed by 191 countries to limit the rise in global temperature "well below 2°C" compared to pre-industrial levels. COP 22 provided an ‘opportunity to make the voices of the most vulnerable countries to climate change heard, in particular African countries and island states’ according to Morocco’s chairmanship of the conference. It focuses on action items in order to achieve the priorities of The Paris Agreement, especially related to adaptation, transparency, technology transfer, mitigation, capacity building and loss and damages.

Sahara Wind presents ‘Paving the way to large-scale wind power developments: Morocco's pre-COP22 policies’ at the 15th World Wind Energy Conference & Renewable Energy Exhibition (WWEC 2016)

The 15th World Wind Energy Conference took place in Tokyo, Japan from October 31^st -November 1^st  2016. Held a few days before the Marrakech COP22 conference, the WWEC 2016 Tokyo conference focused on wind power technology and approaches of how to further increase the global wind power capacity of 465 GW in the world based on engineering as well as social science. Various studies have shown that Japan is blessed with an abundance of wind such as onshore and offshore wind to rebuild and strengthen the country from the damage of the great earthquake in 2011. The wind power community around the world joined the WWEC2016 in Tokyo to make the benefits of wind power available.

During Session E-2 dedicated to ‘National and International Wind power policies’ Sahara Wind presented Morocco's pre-Cop22 Policies under the title ‘Paving the way to large-scale wind power developments’ on October 31^st 2016.

Le Maroc dépose ses instruments de ratification de l’Accord de Paris à l’ONU le 21 Septembre 2016.

Le ministre des Affaires Etrangères et de la Coopération et Président de la COP22, Salaheddine Mezouar, a déposé les instruments de ratification du Maroc de l’Accord de Paris. Le Royaume rejoint ainsi les 59 autres pays qui ont déjà déposés leurs instruments. En tant que pays hôte de la 22^èmeConférence des Parties à la Convention cadre des Nations Unies sur les changements climatiques (COP22), la ratification du Maroc porte le nombre de pays qui ont adhéré à l’Accord de Paris à 60, égalant 47.62% des émissions mondiales de gaz à effets de serre. Afin que l’Accord de Paris puisse entrer en vigueur, 55 pays représentant au moins 55% des émissions mondiales doivent déposer leurs instruments de ratification auprès des Nations Unies. A cette occasion, le Secrétaire Général des Nations Unies Ban Ki-moon a annoncé « Je suis heureux de déclarer que nous avons officiellement franchi le seuil de 55 pays pour l’entrée en vigueur anticipée de l’Accord de Paris ».

Sahara Wind at the MED Conference of the European Investment Bank in Rabat, September 08 2016.

The “EIB MED Conference: Climate Action in the Mediterranean” focused on climate change adaptation, mitigation and climate finance. Three consecutive sessions on climate finance enabled panelists to interact with an audience composed of officials, experts from the private sector and the NGO community. As the world's biggest provider of climate finance, the EIB’s significant expertise leverages complementary financing sources alongside other multilateral development banks to get the private sector on board for the considerable investments that will be needed in the years ahead.

Sahara Wind à la MEDCOP CLIMAT Tanger les 18-19 Juillet 2016.

En amont de la 22ème Conférence des Parties (COP22) de la Convention cadre des Nations Unies sur les changements climatiques qui se tiendra du 7 au 18 novembre 2016 à Marrakech et avant d'en assurer la présidence, le Maroc à abrité la MEDCOP CLIMAT. Tenue à Tanger, porte de la méditerranée les 18 et 19 juillet, la deuxième édition de la MEDCOP CLIMAT a connu la participation de plus de 2000 experts du monde universitaire, du secteur privé et de la société civile. Ce forum a permis d’évaluer, partager, et consolider les contributions des pays méditerranéens. L’objectif étant de développer des plans d’actions pour les Collectivités territoriales, ONG, associations et entreprises tant pour l’atténuation que pour l’adaptation aux changements climatiques.

Conférence Marketing pays : Modéliser la Marque Maroc.

Sahara Wind a pris part aux travaux de la 1ère édition de la conférence sur la marque Maroc. Ainsi, la Session 4 intitulée « La COP22 : Quelles opportunités pour la Marque Maroc? » a été modéré par son Directeur Général, Khalid Benhamou. Organisée conjointement par l’Institut Amadeus et Maroc export, cette conférence s'est déroulée à Casablanca le 27 mai 2016.

Sahara Wind’s regional integrated approach to secure investments presented at the Energy Charter Executive Training Programmes for Young Energy Professionals on May 17-20, 2016 in Kraków, Poland.

At the invitation of the International Energy Charter, Sahara Wind’s “Investment security and securing the necessary investments in the energy sector: how do we get there?” was presented to Young Energy Professionals. The eighth edition of the Executive Training Programmes focused on energy security challenges in light of on-going energy transition in wider-Europe and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

As a first step in implementing the Paris Agreement -and ahead of its Presidency- Morocco, along with 175 nations participated in the high-level signing ceremony which took place at the United Nations on April 22^nd 2016.

In hosting the upcoming COP-22 global climate conference in Marrakech, the Kingdom of Morocco delivered its statement. Backed by ambitious, comprehensive Intended Nationally Determined Contributions Morocco is on track to exceed its 2020 renewable energy targets and achieve 52% of renewable electricity generation capacity by 2030. In order for these objectives to be binding, countries will need to adopt the “Paris Agreement” within their own legal systems, through ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. The agreement will enter into force when joined by at least 55 countries, which together represent at least 55% of global emissions. The ceremony took place on International Mother Earth Day.

MOROCCO: A consortium of Enel Green Power (EGP), Nareva and Siemens has been officially named as preferred bidders to develop five projects in Morocco, totalling 850MW

Backing the Sahara Wind project's regional applied research work, the world’s biggest power-equipment maker is building a trial technology that turns wind power into ammonia gas, a product that could clean up pollution from the fertilizer industry.

A plant near Oxford, England, makes ammonia by electrolysis instead of through the traditional reaction fed by fossil fuels. If fed by idled renewable power plants, the process would make emissions-free fertilizer used by farmers everywhere. Besides reducing carbon pollution worldwide, the technology could absorb excess output from wind and solar farms as well as store electricity in the form of a usable gas. Siemens estimates it could help cut emissions by 360 million tons a year, more than the annual carbon output of France. Although still expensive, Siemens reckons technology costs will come down over time, especially if the market for hydrogen-powered vehicles grows.

100 millions d’euros pour une usine de pales.

La future usine de Siemens devra entrer en service dès 2017 avec une production prévue de 650 pales par an. Le groupe allemand Siemens vient d’annoncer la signature d’un protocole d’accord pour la construction au Maroc d’un site de production de pales pour éoliennes. Le nombre d’emplois à créer est de 700 avec un investissement prévu de 100 millions d’euros, soit l’équivalent de 1,1 milliard de DH. Son entrée en service est prévue pour le printemps 2017. 

Presented at the EU and MPCs Cooperation in the Energy Sector International Workshop in Athens, Greece on 22-23 February 2016

During this event focused on the cooperation between EU and Mediterranean Partner Countries, Sahara Wind presented its integrated project development framework. Funded under the MARE project and organized by the Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving - CRES, this workshop discussed challenges, opportunities as well as barriers to develop cooperation in the Energy Sector between the EU and MPC countries.