Morocco
Masen's big solar farm programme risks blowing a fuse

Morocco
Masen CEO Mustapha Bakkoury remains out of the picture

Mustapha Bakkoury, head of Morocco's sustainable energy agency, has definitely fallen from grace. He is no longer invited to meetings on the topic, and several potential successors have already been named.

The New Guard
Morocco, Guinea, Zimbabwe and Libya

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence reveals the next generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.

MoroccoMakhzen keeping tabs on Obaid Amrane's rising star.

GuineaMamadou Diallo, from the embassy to the World Bank.

ZimbabweJohn Paradza, a key player in Mnangagwe's battle for the youth vote.

LibyeKhalid Chaouki, former Italian MP growing his Tripoli business network.

Morocco
Bakkoury's Noor PV II solar project fails to electrify candidates

Sustainable energy agency Masen has refused to extend its call for candidates for the Noor PV II project to build solar farms totalling 400 MW. Only nine candidates, including three foreign majors, have come forward.

Morocco
Banker to the royal family, Mohamed Benslimane, takes a seat at utility Lydec

The head of Advisory & Finance Group and husband of Mohammed VI's cousin Lalla Zineb is joining the board of the Casablanca water and power utility controlled by French water and waste management group Suez.

Morocco
Bidders not lighting up over Masen's 400 MW photovoltaic power stations

After the costly concentrated solar power station in Ouarzazate, which led to a legal investigation into CEO Mustapha Bakkoury, the Masen solar power agency has moved onto photovoltaic solar panels. But candidates for Noor PV II are not convinced.

Burkina Faso
World Bank wants to raise $450m from private sector to fund solar projects

At Ouagadougou's request, the World Bank is putting the final touches on a solar development project with thee underlying aim to reduce Burkina Faso's fossil fuel bill and energy dependence on Ivory Coast and Ghana.

Morocco, UAE
Nadia Fettah Alaoui to replace troubled Mustapha Bakkoury at Expo 2020 in Dubai

Tourism minister Nadia Fettah Alaoui will replace Mustapha Bakkoury as commissioner general of the Morocco pavillion at the World Expo in Dubai in October, African Intelligence understands.

Morocco
Masen's entire executive commitee in trouble following Bakkoury

Breaking news published on 07/04/21, 5 p.m. - The travel ban placed on Morocco's sustainable energy agency boss Mustapha Bakkoury has now been extended to all four members of Masen's executive committee.

Morocco
Cegelec to connect Western Sahara's Laâyoune to extra-high voltage grid

The national electricity board has commissioned Cegelec, a subsidiary of French group Vinci, to connect Laâyoune in Western Sahara to the national grid. This line will be used to offload electricity from the Sahrawi power plants of Mohammed VI's company Nareva.

Morocco
Western Sahara: Masen to build Noor solar farm near El Argoub, Dakhla

Morocco's sustainable energy agency Masen is gradually clarifying details of its solar power plant project in Dakhla, Western Sahara, which will be part of its Noor programme.