Morocco is expected to launch the establishment of the first national nuclear power plant during the first quarter of 2023, reports Arabic energy news outlet Attaqa.
The Moroccan executive is preparing to sign a new agreement related to its construction, said the report, citing sources close to the project.
The same sources said that a contract to start feasibility studies on the project by the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development will include funding from a European investor.
The sources pointed out that the volume of investments in the first nuclear power plant in Morocco are expected to reach about USD 40 billion, as the plan is to build two nuclear reactors in one site.
Russian company Rosatom is the closest to potential partner for this project, considering that in October of this year, the Russian Council of Ministers announced the signing of an agreement to build the first nuclear power plant in Morocco, explaining that it had ratified the draft agreement submitted by Rosatom, specialized in nuclear projects.
The draft agreement included several areas of cooperation between Moscow and Rabat regarding the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, including the design and construction of power and research reactors, in addition to desalination plants and primary particle accelerators, according to what was seen by the specialized energy platform.
Attaqa further reports that Morocco is expected to launch a fund-raising campaign, after settling on the final investment decision in the nuclear power plant project.
Although the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development did not respond to a request sent by the Energy Platform for comment, Moroccan Minister of Energy Leila Benali had previously said that her department is seriously exploring nuclear options.
Before Parliament, Benali stated that nuclear energy will provide Morocco’s electricity needs, especially since the Kingdom has conducted several studies over the past years, aiming to implement a national program to generate electricity from nuclear energy.
The minister explained that Morocco has an important database and required expertise to prepare for a national project, to produce electricity from nuclear energy, especially with concerns about the inadequacy of renewable energy sources to secure the growing demand for electricity in Morocco.
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