Morocco intends to build a nuclear reactor, probably in agreement with Russia

According to the Spanish newspaper La Razon , Morocco is firmly committed to nuclear energy . The issue was raised again after Rabat's ambassador and permanent representative in Vienna, Azzedine Farhan, called “to provide more support to the International Atomic Energy Agency to continue to strengthen the capacities of national experts in science, technology and applications. This appeal appears to be linked to Morocco's plan to build an experimental reactor to enter the atomic age.

Following the agreement between the Russian company Rosatom and the Moroccan government, and the statements of Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who named Morocco among the countries destined to become "nuclear", It appears that Rabat's strategic orientation towards electricity production from nuclear energy is close to being tested in the field, with the aim of reducing high energy bills and adapting to climate change, the neighboring country's digital media reports .

Abdel Samad Malaoui, a researcher specializing in energy technology and transformation, said that the consultation with the aforementioned agency “highlights its support for years for the Kingdom's efforts to use nuclear energy for peaceful uses”, underlining that “Morocco has decided recently to establish a group of power plants to desalinate seawater to address the enormous shortage of this vital substance due to climatic conditions.” For this purpose, a nuclear reactor, which also produces a large amount of thermal energy, would be the ideal solution.

Malaoui underlined “the importance of using nuclear energy in these plants because they require a significant amount of electricity. “Morocco cannot satisfy the electricity needs of these plants without using sources other than the classic ones, be they regular fossils, which Morocco is trying to obtain”.

He recalled "the international cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency for the construction of a group of nuclear plants for peaceful purposes in Morocco, especially as regards the aspect linked to scientific research and the production of clean electricity", underlining that “the Moroccan nuclear strategy for these objectives is advancing in a very rational way, especially because the country “remains committed to respecting the commitments stipulated by international parties on climate matters”.

Al-Sahaimi added: “The peaceful uses of nuclear technology in several countries have revealed its effectiveness in areas of great importance, especially in the fields of energy, health and water supply, which will allow Morocco to accelerate various projects linked to the sovereignty of water. . and security", underlining "the great importance that the Kingdom attributes to the fight against serious climate changes which have caused a structural drought".

“Morocco has become a continental protagonist thanks to South-South relations and partnerships, in addition to its strategic position, which has made it a mediator between the North and the South. This is an opportunity to achieve sustainable development between countries Africans that makes Morocco a starting point for the spread of peaceful nuclear technology that benefits Africa and pushes it to invest in its local capacities, strengthen its autoimmunity and make the cooperation of its countries a basis for creating its sovereignty in local development and strengthen its economic and social bases".

With the construction of this reactor, Morocco would join the small club of African nuclear countries, which for now includes Egypt , South Africa and Ghana , but which could soon become much more crowded.

The article Morocco intends to build a nuclear reactor, probably in agreement with Russia comes from Economic Scenarios .

This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/il-marocco-intende-costruire-un-reattore-nucleare-probabilmente-in-accordo-con-la-russia/ on Tue, 19 Mar 2024 09:00:23 +0000.