Bennani Announces a Series of Measures and Solutions from Jerada to Accelerate Development in the Region
Amin Osman/
Leila Bennani, the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, announced today, Friday, May 30, 2025, from the city of Jerada, a series of practical measures aimed at restructuring mining activities in the region, within a new vision focused on efficiency, digitization, and achieving equitable and sustainable development.
The minister emphasized that this initiative falls under the royal directives aimed at establishing a new development model based on spatial and social justice and achieving efficiency in managing vital sectors. She affirmed that the ministry is relying on tangible legislative and executive tools that combine digital transformation, investment incentives, and a response to environmental and social challenges, in coordination with local authorities and all partners.
Bennani revealed the preparation of a digital platform for marketing coal, which aims to track the path of local production and establish transparency in the sector while highlighting local actors in the national market. She considered the platform a pivotal step within a comprehensive approach to reforming the mining sector in Jerada.
Additionally, she announced the preparation of a draft law to amend Law 33.13 related to mines, which includes procedures for simplifying and digitizing processes, creating an electronic mining registry, mandatory annual audits for occupational safety, issuing professional cards for miners, easing the processing of materials without exploitation license conditions, and dedicating job opportunities to the region’s inhabitants, along with imposing plans for closing and rehabilitating mines to protect the environment and ensure social sustainability.
The meeting also addressed the preparation of the first investment guide specific to the mining sector in the eastern region, aimed at facilitating access to financing and enhancing trust with investors, focusing on Jerada as a priority area.
In the renewable energy sector, a framework agreement was announced for the implementation of a solar station with a capacity of 3 megawatts, expandable to 10 megawatts, targeted at communities affected by silicosis. The minister reminded that the electrification rate reached 99.91% at the national level and 99.68% at the regional level, noting that the PERG 2.0 project aims to complete electrical coverage relying on renewable energies.
Bennani inspected, along with regional officials, the progress of development agreements concluded with Jerada, particularly the partnership with MASEN, which aims to strengthen energy infrastructure and provide innovative solutions that create job opportunities for local residents.
A representative from the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy presented the "Noor Atlas" project, which includes solar stations with a total capacity reaching 300 megawatts, including 121 megawatts in Ain Bni Mathar, at a cost of approximately 2.7 billion dirhams, alongside a project to set up a solar station for silicosis patients with a capacity of 3 megawatts and a budget of 36.5 million dirhams.
These projects signal a transformation in the state’s approach toward the region, linking spatial justice with digitization and environmental productivity, and transforming local resources into a true lever for development.
