If the country aims to achieve energy independence by relying on coal, gas or oil-fired power stations, the air pollution linked to this energy production costs Morocco 18% of its GDP, according to a study published recently by two German researchers.
Last June, Morocco submitted its new Nationally Determined Contribution (CDN) to the Executive Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). With a new ambition, the country is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 45.5% by 2030, of which 18.3% is unconditional and achieved without support from international cooperation.
But if Morocco’s commitment stems from its determination to fight against global warming and move towards clean energies, the decision is also dictated by the health costs resulting from air pollution. In a study published last week in the journal “Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition”, Franziska Dettner and Marina Blohm, two researchers from the University of Flensburg in Germany looked at the external cost of air pollution linked to the production of energy in Morocco. They thus attempted to estimate the magnitude of the costs and thus improve the understanding of the profound consequences of fossil fuels.
Their study, online on July 8, looks at coal, gas, or fuel oil plants located in the kingdom to produce electricity. For the two researchers, “although Morocco has made undeniable economic progress and improved the average standard of living of the population, the country faces considerable challenges in responding to the expected increase in demand for electricity in the regions. years to come”. They recall that Morocco intends to build a new coal-fired power station in Nador by 2023, with a capacity of 1,320 MW, and increase the capacity of the Jerada power plant by 350 MW, by 2022.
“The current fossil fuel-based system emits high levels of CO2 as well as other harmful air pollutants, causing stress on the environment through increased global warming and stress on the health of the local population.” Extract from the study
Include the cost of air pollution for coherent energy policies
The two researchers calculated the external cost of air pollution linked to energy production in Morocco for 2015. They concluded that this pollution costs Morocco about 18 billion euros (more than 190 billion dirhams), or 18 % of Moroccan GDP (967.5 billion DH). “For the three coal-fired power stations of Mohammadia, Jorf Lasfar, and Jerada, a significant part of the external costs results from particulate emissions; more PM10 than PM2.5. The two natural gas power plants, Ain Beni Mathar and Tahaddart, have comparatively low external costs, due to low emission levels, ”the study says.
“The results highlight and confirm that the health impacts of exposure to air pollutants linked to energy production are an urgent challenge in Morocco. Ignoring the external costs of power generation can lead to market failure, as investment and policy decisions in power generation are made without considering this important cost factor. ” Extract from the study
The researchers add that “the external costs of air pollution may be part of the answer to the question of how much we should spend on protecting the environment and reducing carbon emissions.”
“In an environment characterized by global warming, rapid economic progress, and growing energy demand, like Morocco, an assessment of health costs resulting from air pollution from energy production can be used as an argument for convincing decision-makers to invest in renewable energies ”, estimates the study. For her, “increased energy security” and “energy independence” can rhyme with “reduced costs for the health system” and “overall improvement in living standards due to reduced levels of air pollution”.
