The Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rabat, Morocco, will soon be producing its own electricity thanks to a photovoltaic installation. This is the result of a double partnership agreement signed on October 5th, 2020 between the National Museum Foundation (FNM), the Institute for Research in Solar Energy and New Energies (Iresen) and the Green Energy Park (GEP).
A radical change will take place in the power supply system of the Mohammed VI museum in Rabat, in the north of Morocco. The museum’s 400 or so works by Moroccan artists will be illuminated using solar energy. This is one of the objectives of the dual partnership agreement signed on October 5th, 2020 between the National Museum Foundation (FNM), the Institute for Research in Solar Energy and New Energies (Iresen) and the Green Energy Park (GEP), a platform for testing, research and training in solar energy located in the green city of Ben Guerir in northern Morocco.
The first agreement concerns the evaluation and analysis of the energy balance of the Mohammed VI museum and thus develops innovative solutions for the benefit of all the museums in the Kingdom. The second agreement is specific to the Mohammed VI Museum. “It will be implemented in the coming months through a 100 Kilowatt (kW) solar installation to supply the museum with clean energy during the day. A second phase will include the storage of 50 kWh of electricity, thanks to second life batteries from the automobile industry, for clean consumption and optimisation of the museum’s energy management” explains Badr Ikken, the director of the Iresen.
In the end, all the Moroccan museums will be solarised.
Within the framework of the implementation of the two agreements, Iresen is the contracting authority, while the works will be carried out by the GEP, for the benefit of the FNM. “Within the framework of this partnership, we are going to be able to develop a solution that could be transposed and duplicated to other museums in the Kingdom”, promises the director of Iresen.
Created in 2011 by the Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and the Environment, Iresen’s mission is to support Morocco’s energy strategy. Updated in December 2015, this strategy aims to produce 52% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
Boris Ngounou
