France Offers Nuclear Technology Support to Morocco, Eyeing SMR Cooperation

France is ready to support Morocco in the field of nuclear power production. This is the renewed commitment made by Bruno Le Maire, during the Morocco-France economic forum held on April 26 in Rabat, mentioning "the possibility of cooperation in the field of nuclear power production." "You know that at the request of the President of the Republic, we are working on these famous SMRs, smaller modular reactors. It is up to the Moroccan government to decide whether it can be interested in this cooperation," said the French Minister of Economy and Finance.

The Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, had expressed Morocco’s interest in these modular reactors last September, which have many advantages including adaptability, recalls Challenge, adding that "today nuclear energy seems to be an alternative." But this technology is not infallible, warns Amine Bennouna, an energy expert, stressing the risks for Morocco of acquiring a nuclear power plant.

A conventional nuclear reactor with a capacity of nearly 1,000 MW could produce 6,600 GWh, which exceeds Morocco’s current needs, explains Bennouna. "The small modular reactors (SMRs) that would allow a capacity of 122 MW still only exist at the experimental stage... And there is still no reliable information on the cost of the electricity that would be produced."

"That being said, it must be recognized that nuclear energy is a good way to reduce the cost of desalination and obviously have clean desalination. In terms of timing, I don’t think this ambition is for today since the priority stated at the highest level of the State is to have a green hydrogen offer," analyzes for his part Omar Beniacha, sustainability expert.