Benali Highlights the Royal Vision on Energy Sovereignty in London
The Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, highlighted the Royal vision for achieving energy sovereignty on Friday in London, reaffirming Morocco’s strong commitment to restructuring the global energy system.
Speaking at the ministerial session of the summit on the future of energy security held in the British capital, Benali emphasized that the current state of global infrastructure necessitates radical transformations. She stressed Morocco’s central role in the emergence of a new energy security paradigm, grounded in strengthening investments and modernizing 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 which the Sovereign urged a departure from incremental approaches. Benali pointed out that the High Royal Directives serve as a crucial lever to accelerate the global energy transition.
Although classified as a middle-income country, Morocco manages significant responsibilities by leveraging its cultural, logistical, and energy ties with Europe and the Atlantic, she noted, further stating that 2025 represents a critical deadline for marking a qualitative leap in the Kingdom’s investment policy, with the ambition of quadrupling annual investments in renewable energy and quintuple investments in electrical network infrastructure.
The Royal vision for energy security extends beyond merely supplying molecules and electrons; it aims at a comprehensive restructuring of the energy ecosystem. This includes strengthening strategic partnerships, securing energy assets, developing value chains, laying the foundations for energy and social justice, achieving sustainable development, and adopting smart and participatory models for network management, she elaborated.
Regional integration is a fundamental pillar of the Kingdom’s energy strategy, Benali asserted, recalling that Morocco has initiated a large-scale call for tenders valued at $6 billion for the development of gas infrastructure and the connection to the Africa-Atlantic gas pipeline. This project will facilitate the transport of molecules and green hydrogen between Africa and Europe while supporting energy transition projects at regional and international levels.
The Minister also called for a revamp of multilateral financial institutions, advocating for a more integrated and flexible international financial framework capable of supporting energy security-related projects, ensuring convergence of international policies, and promoting 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 participation from high-level international delegations representing key players in the global energy transition and energy security.
