Benali Illuminates Royal Perspectives on Energy Sovereignty in London
On Friday in London, Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, highlighted the Royal Vision for achieving energy sovereignty while reaffirming the strong commitment of the Kingdom of Morocco to restructure the global energy system.
Speaking at the ministerial session of the summit on the future of energy security, taking place in the British capital, Benali emphasized that the current state of global infrastructure necessitates radical transformations. She underscored Morocco’s central role in the emergence of a new energy security paradigm, one that is based on increased investments and the modernization of networks.
She recalled the speech delivered by His Majesty King Mohammed VI at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In this speech, the Sovereign called for moving beyond incremental steps, stating that the Royal Guidelines are an essential lever to accelerate the overall energy transition.
Despite being a middle-income country, Morocco manages significant responsibilities, leveraging its cultural, logistical, and energy ties with Europe and the Atlantic. She noted that the year 2025 represents a critical deadline for making a qualitative leap in the Kingdom’s investment policy, with ambitions to quadruple annual investments in renewable energy and to quintuple investments in electrical network infrastructure.
The Royal Vision for energy security extends beyond the mere supply of molecules and electrons; it aims for a complete restructuring of the energy ecosystem. This includes enhancing strategic partnerships, securing energy assets, developing value chains, establishing the foundations of energy and social justice, achieving sustainable development, and adopting intelligent, participatory models for network management, she detailed.
Regional integration is a fundamental pillar of the Kingdom’s energy strategy, Benali emphasized. To this end, she reminded the audience that Morocco had launched a large-scale tender worth $6 billion, focused on developing gas infrastructure and connecting to the Africa-Atlantic pipeline. This project will facilitate the transportation of molecules and green hydrogen between Africa and Europe while supporting energy transition projects on a regional and international scale.
The minister also called for a reform of multilateral financial institutions, advocating for a more integrated and flexible international financial framework that can support energy security-related projects, ensure convergence in international policies, and promote the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and social well-being.
The summit on the future of energy security, organized by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in collaboration with the UK government, was co-chaired by IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol and UK Secretary of State for Energy Ed Miliband. The conclave saw the participation of high-level international delegations representing key players in global energy transition and energy security.
