Germany invests $8.5m in Morocco ‘green mosques’

The German government has invested $8.5 million (€8.09 million) in a project to boost energy efficiency and renewable energy in mosques across Morocco. The initiative, titled “Promoting Employment through Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Mosques,” was run by the Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) from 2015 to 2021, funded by Germany’s Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

According to Morocco World News, of the total budget, $6.3 million (€5.99 million) went towards expert deployment for advisory, planning, and implementation measures. A further $424,000 (€404,000) was spent on materials such as LED lights, solar water heaters, and photovoltaic panels, while administrative expenses and taxes accounted for $1.11 million (€1.06 million).

The project involved training for local companies, skilled workers, and mosque teachers, including imams, to highlight the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy. The BMZ noted that models for installing and maintaining these energy systems were also developed.

The German government emphasised the project’s gender equality efforts, noting that by August 2019, six of the nine employees were women. “The project has achieved its goals of promoting business and employment opportunities in the areas of energy efficiency and renewable energy,” the government said, adding that it had been “well received” by the local population.

The North African country has approximately 52,000 mosques, with the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs covering expenses for around 15,000 of them. The ministry, which constructs about 150 new mosques annually, aims to significantly lower costs with plans to generate 52 per cent of Morocco’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

Cover photo: Worshippers perform ablution before prayer at a mosque in Morocco [Allan Harris/Flickr]