Having already staked out its ambitions in green energy, Morocco is now confirming its interest in atomic energy. At the World Nuclear Energy Summit on March 10, Aziz Akhannouch raised the prospect of gradually integrating civilian nuclear power into the national energy mix. The goal: to complement the already underway development of renewable energy, which is set to represent 52% of the electricity system by 2030, while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Given the current surge in oil and gas prices, not to mention the climate stakes, an alternative energy solution is necessary for Morocco, insists Anwar Ouazzani-Chahdi, an engineer and nuclear development expert. In his view, that alternative means nuclear energy.
Commitments to meet
“If Morocco does not make a decision quickly, in this case the nuclear decision, it will face a situation similar to the price surge we are experiencing today”
A near-zero-carbon but controversial energy source, civilian nuclear power has so far seen no development in the kingdom. But over the past three years, the engineer notes a real momentum toward atomic energy, driven by pressure to move away from fossil fuels. « If Morocco does not make a decision quickly, in this case the nuclear decision, it will face a situation similar to the price surge we are experiencing today. And it is Moroccan consumers who will bear the cost, » he adds.
In addition to the goal of a half-green energy mix, Morocco has also committed at COP 28, held in December 2023 in Dubai, to carbon neutrality by 2050. In the medium term, coal and gas power plants will have to shut down. According to the engineer, one could imagine nuclear ambitions materializing around 2035.
Nuclear, at what cost?
For Morocco is still largely dependent on fossil fuels, and particularly on coal, which accounts for 60% of national energy production. « Today, without energy sovereignty, Morocco depends on third-party countries and current price increases, » the engineer states.
He also highlights the price competitiveness of nuclear energy compared to fossil fuels. For one megawatt-hour (MWh) from nuclear, the cost ranges between 60 and 75 euros, while for a fossil fuel like gas, amounts can climb up to 130 euros. The lifespan of power plants, of at least 60 years, makes it possible to offset the initial heavy investments after a few decades.
The initial investment is indeed colossal, particularly for the construction of power plants and the implementation of very demanding safety systems, notes Khadija Bendam, expert at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), president of the International Nuclear Societies Council (INSC) and of Women in Nuclear Morocco (WiN Morocco).
But Morocco has its eye on small modular reactors, SMRs, capable of producing up to 300 megawatts. These cost between 1 and 2 billion euros, compared to 6 and 10 billion for a traditional nuclear power plant. For Anwar Ouazzani-Chahdi, these initial financial contributions should not constitute a major obstacle. « Morocco knows how to seek out funding. For colossal projects, like desalination, it has already been able to benefit from Emirati funds, » he explains.
Khadija Bendam also notes that nuclear fuel represents a very limited share of the total cost of production, less than one cent per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in many cases. « This low cost makes the energy source less sensitive to fluctuations in international commodity markets, » she adds.
Complementary to renewable energy sources
By virtue of its availability, this near-carbon-free energy will complement renewable energy sources (RES). « It is a dispatchable energy source, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is therefore no need for storage, which intermittent energy sources rely on massively, » Anwar Ouazzani-Chahdi elaborates. According to him, the real question is not solely the unit cost of production, but the overall cost of an electrical system that is at once decarbonized, stable, and sovereign.
Despite Morocco’s competitiveness with its climate favorable to solar and wind energy, these green energies are not sufficient. « We know full well that renewable energies are not abundant. In the sense that they are dependent on climatic conditions, intermittent, and require significant storage, which comes at a high cost, » the engineer argues. Thus, nuclear energy could complement the Moroccan energy mix, by securing the system when variable renewables are not producing, in order to avoid storage costs.
Strengthening Morocco’s electricity supply
« Civil nuclear energy can power the entire national electricity grid, » states Anwar Ouazzani-Chahdi. Both experts point to the many sectors that could benefit from it, such as industry, public infrastructure, and households. All the more so as nuclear energy could support strategic infrastructure such as rail networks, data centers, desalination, or hydrogen production facilities. Thanks to its stability, nuclear energy allows for the continuous operation of facilities and improves industrial efficiency, Khadija Bendam notes.
The IAEA had moreover explicitly considered nuclear energy as a relevant option for hydrogen and desalination, while emphasizing that SMRs could be adapted to these uses, Anwar Ouazzani-Chahdi recalls. « For a country like Morocco, which faces both severe water stress and industrial ambitions around hydrogen, this is a very important argument, » he adds.
Food security
Mentioned by Aziz Akhannouch in Paris, this technology could also play a role in food security. Khadija Bendam notably mentions the improvement of certain crop varieties in order to make them more resistant to disease or drought. The use of water and fertilizers can be optimized through isotopes, which also allow for a better understanding of soils.
But civil nuclear energy already contributes to this food security, without a power plant. A partnership was notably launched in February 2026 between the IAEA and the OCP Group, in order to improve fertilizer efficiency, enhance the nutritional quality of crops, and strengthen the sustainability of food systems, through nuclear techniques.
While Morocco does not use nuclear energy to produce electricity, nuclear technologies are already being used in fields other than agriculture. « They play an important role in nuclear medicine, particularly for diagnosis and radiotherapy in cancer treatment. On the industrial side, they enable quality control and materials analysis, » the IAEA expert lists.
A first nuclear foundation…
On the research side, in Maâmora, the National Center for Nuclear Energy, Sciences and Technology (CNESTEN) houses a 2-megawatt (MW) research reactor, commissioned in 2007, as well as laboratories. As for the regulatory aspect, the National Authority for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security (AMSSNuR) ensures compliance with international standards on nuclear safety and security.
“The question is therefore not so much whether nuclear energy constitutes a credible option, but rather how and at what point it could be optimally integrated into the national energy strategy”
For Khadija Bendam, the situation is clear, Morocco already has solid expertise in the field. « The question is therefore not so much whether nuclear energy constitutes a credible option, but rather how and at what point it could be optimally integrated into the national energy strategy, » she explains.
Morocco also has an asset: the presence of yellowcake — a uranium concentrate used as nuclear fuel — in its phosphate deposits. This strong point leads one to imagine that the Kingdom could venture into the nuclear industry, by exploiting this nuclear fuel locally.
…with some shortcomings
These ambitions still need to be realized. Despite progress praised by the IAEA, Morocco could not launch into nuclear electricity production tomorrow. « A progressive program would be needed, very closely supervised, with a technological choice, a robust safety framework, human expertise, appropriate financing, and a site meeting strict criteria: water access, geological stability, security, and good grid connectivity, » Anwar Ouazzani-Chahdi lists in order to achieve a production goal.
Beyond the lack of technologies, expertise, and know-how, he recalls that Morocco does not hold patents to become a nuclear player. « One can hope for discussions regarding partnerships to share expertise and knowledge. Because there will also be a need for the maintenance and operation of such sites, » the engineer emphasizes.
Not to mention the many controversies surrounding nuclear energy. The integration of nuclear energy into the electricity mix indeed raises the question of public acceptability. « Political leaders need to be made aware, but also the general public, in order to explain that it is a fully mastered energy source, that there is no particular risk. It is one of the most regulated and most closely monitored industries, » the engineer argues.
Written in French by Salomé Krumenacher, edited in English by Eric Nielson
