Morocco’s Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development has confirmed that all energy facilities are operating normally despite the earthquake that struck the province of Al Haouz.
According to the ministry, all energy facilities are running normally, with the exception of some minor damage to specific equipment at the “Noor Ouarzazate” power plant that has been repaired.
In a statement, it said that the nuclear facilities were not impacted by the September 8 earthquake.
The earthquake did not cause any major changes in mining activities in the provinces of Al Haouz and Taroudant.
According to the same source, technical units have also been set up in conjunction with the relevant mining companies to analyse and minimise any risks, monitoring both their surface installations and the numerous underground mining operations.
The ministry also assessed the condition of oil distribution and storage infrastructure, particularly in the earthquake-affected regions. Except for a few service stations that sustained minor damage, one of the other facilities was damaged, the ministry found, adding that energy items, including diesel, gasoline, butane gas, and aviation fuel, were not in short supply.
To preserve stockpiles and guarantee that these areas are continuously and optimally supplied, the ministry said its departments have been constantly monitoring the arrival of tanker trucks in the impacted areas.
In the early hours following the September 8 earthquake, according to the press release, the ministry reportedly established a crisis unit in conjunction with the organisations under its control.
Work teams have been dispatched to the affected areas to inspect the state of the energy infrastructure and the supply of energy products in order to assess the damage, examine the functionality of these installations, and take the necessary actions to quickly return to normal, the ministry added.
These actions include mobilising energy and mining companies to assist in the opening up of the affected regions.
Teams from institutions under the control of the ministry were mobilised in particular to assess the various damages to the distribution networks, restore medium-voltage power to all substations in the province of Al Haouz, and isolate damaged power cables and low-voltage networks that could endanger local populations.
As a result, these teams have been “successful” in gradually restoring power to all affected areas and restoring public lighting, while teams from the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) continue to monitor the performance of all electrical installations in the region’s distribution network in real time.
