Data-center law in Morocco

National jurisdiction · as of 2026-09-07

Morocco's Law No. 13-09 on Renewable Energy, promulgated by Dahir No. 1-10-16 of 26 safar 1431 (11 February 2010), is the statute reaching a data center's self-generation and grid-connection choices for a renewable-energy supply.

It opens electricity production from renewable sources to public and private legal persons and to natural persons, alongside the historic state utility, sets a licensing regime graduated by installed capacity, and lets a producer sell into the national grid under a convention with the state, supply a consumer connected to the medium, high, or very-high tension grid directly, or export the electricity produced, with grid access itself controlled by the national transport grid operator.

A dedicated environmental-review or air-emissions statute, a water-utilities statute, and the general investment charter (Loi-cadre n° 03-22) may also reach a data center's siting and permitting choices; none is described here.

Instruments on record

1 instrument on record, grouped by the family of approval each one governs.

Energy and grid

What authorizations govern grid connection and onsite generation?

Law No. 13-09 on Renewable Energy

In force

Loi n° 13-09 relative aux énergies renouvelables promulguée par le Dahir n° 1-10-16 du 26 safar 1431 (11 février 2010), Bulletin Officiel n° 5822 du 1er rabii I 1431 (18 mars 2010)

Applies to both

Article 2 opens the production of electricity from renewable sources to the state utility (Office National de l'Electricité) concurrently with public or private legal persons and natural persons, by derogation from the utility's historic production monopoly. Articles 3 and 4 condition an installation on a prior authorization or, below a capacity threshold, a prior declaration to the administration. Article 24 lets the electricity produced be sold on the national market or exported.

Article 25 lets a producer satisfy national-market demand under a convention concluded with the State or its delegated body, setting the convention's duration and the commercial terms of supply. Article 26 separately lets a producer supply a consumer or group of consumers connected to the national medium-, high-, or very-high-tension grid directly, under a contract fixing the commercial supply terms and the consumers' commitment to consume the electricity for their own use.

Articles 27 to 29 let a producer connected to that grid export the electricity it produces, subject to the transport grid operator's technical opinion and, where transport or interconnection capacity is insufficient, a concession to build a direct line. Article 30 places grid access itself, for both domestic supply and export, under the control and management of the national transport grid operator.

Breach of the authorization or declaration duties is punished under Article 41 by three months' to one year's imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 to 1,000,000 dirhams for an unauthorized installation, and under Article 42 by a fine of 10,000 to 20,000 dirhams for an undeclared installation below the authorization threshold, with confiscation of the equipment always ordered by the court.

Source: Full text of law