On April 28th, 2009, Mr. Salah Eddine Mezouar, Minister of Economy and Finance and Mr. Planas Puchades, Ambassador of Spain to Morocco, chaired the signing ceremony of two agreements at the headquarters of the Ministry in Rabat. - Mr. Allache, Deputy Managing Director at the ONE (National Electricity Office) and, Mr. Ramo Iribarren, General Managing Director of the ICO signed an agreement that allows for the amount of 100 million euoros to be used for the partial financing of the construction of a ONE (National Electricity Office) thermo solar plant in Ain Beni Mathar.
- The second agreement was signed by Mohammed Rabie Khlie, General Director of the ONCF (National Rail Office) and Mr. Ramo Iribarren, General Managing Director of the ICO. The agreement involves the amount of ? 8.3 million to be used in financing and completion of remote control system for substations and sectioning posts throughout the entire ONCF network.
Mr. Mezouar signed the letters of indemnity relating to both loans and expressed Morocco`s satisfaction with the interest the Spanish authorities expressed to public projects conducted in domains of paramount importance such as renewable energy and rail infrastructure.
The construction of Ain Beni Mathar thermo solar plan will promote renewable energy and diversify resources for the production of electricity. It will contribute 8.5% of national production and save 12.000 tons of fuel a year and reduce CO2 emission by 33.500 tons a year.
The project of remote control system/telesignaling at substations and sectioning posts aims to offer better protection patterns at rail lines.
Both the minister and the ambassadors spoke highly of relations between their respective nations and expressed their determination to strengthen these relations further.