RABAT (Reuters) -Morocco plans to abandon coal power entirely by 2040 if it secures international climate finance, the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) said on Thursday.
Morocco joined the international PPCA, a group of around 60 governments seeking to phase out coal power, in 2023, in a bid to progress natural gas and renewable energy projects.
Even without international support, Morocco would still aim to phase out coal by the 2040s, the PPCA said in a statement.
As of 2024, coal accounted for 59.3% of Morocco’s electricity mix, down from 70% in 2022, according to official figures.Morocco is targeting 52% of installed capacity to come from renewables by 2030, up from 45% currently.
“Morocco has stopped planning for new coal power plants,” Morocco’s energy minister was quoted as saying in the PPCA statement.
The phase-out pledge “signals intent to manage early plant retirements, contractual reforms, and a just transition backed by accessible international climate finance,” said Rachid Ennassiri, head of independent climate think tank Imal.
(Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi, editing by Ed Osmond)
