International Exhibitions for Electricity and Renewable Energies Kick Off in Casablanca, Positioning Morocco at the Heart of Africa’s Energy Transition
The 26th of November 2025 marked the opening of three international exhibitions in the sectors of electricity, electronics, and renewable energies at the International Exhibition Center in Casablanca. These exhibitions—Elec Expo, EneR Event, and Tronica Expo—are held under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
Omar Hagira, Secretary of State to the Minister of Industry and Trade, responsible for Foreign Trade, officially launched the event, organized by the National Federation of Electricity, Electronics, and Renewable Energies (FENELEC), in partnership with the Ministries of Industry, Energy Transition, and Higher Education.
In his opening speech, Hagira called for strategic thinking on how to enhance the social impact of the electricity sector, emphasizing the importance of transforming this industry into a driver for creating qualified job opportunities, in addition to its economic role. He noted that nearly half of the sector’s turnover is directed towards exports, with a third of the 650 companies operating in the sector considered exporters. However, its contribution to industrial employment does not exceed 4%, suggesting a need to rethink ways to increase its social impact.
The government official affirmed that Africa is rich in energy and industrial opportunities, yet remains weakly represented in global exchanges, with intra-African trade accounting for merely 15% and attracting only 2% of global investments in solar energy, despite possessing 60% of the world’s best solar resources.
Ali Al-Harthy, president of the National Federation of Electricity, Electronics, and Renewable Energies, emphasized the crucial role of energy storage technologies, describing them as “key to future electricity networks.” He revealed that the cost of storage batteries has fallen below $100/kWh, making the cost of energy recovery less than 0.20 dirhams per kilowatt-hour, which is six times lower than the grid-distributed price.
Al-Harthy clarified that a home battery with a capacity of 5 kWh can yield savings of up to 36,000 dirhams, with a payback period of no more than two to three years, confirming that storage has become one of the most developed and attractive technologies in the sector.
He highlighted the African dimension of this dynamic, pointing out that Moroccan companies have amassed over 50 years of experience on the continent and that African energy demand is expected to triple by 2040, presenting annual investment opportunities nearing $30 billion. He regarded the participation of more than 50 African stakeholders from 13 countries in this edition as a testament to the growing confidence in Moroccan expertise and its ability to develop sustainable electrical solutions.
The three exhibitions gather over 200 exhibitors from 24 countries and run from November 26 to 29, under the motto “Energy Storage and Smart Equipment… Keys to Future Electricity Networks,” reinforcing Morocco’s position as a leading regional platform for innovation and cooperation in renewable energies in Africa.
