Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Morocco (International Energy Agency Joint Work Programme with the Kingdom of Morocco to support the transition away from to a decarbonized energy system.)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2018-11-01 al 2021-06-30
An investigation of the viability of electric cooking in Morocco was undertaken by the the IEA, in collaboration with the Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency (AMEE). It was launched in 2019 with a scoping mission and stakeholder workshop in Rabat. The government’s motivations are to expand access to cleaning cooking options, to take advantage of an increasing share of renewables in the power supply.
Two main drivers underpin the government’s interest in the energy dimensions of cooking in Morocco. One is to expand access to clean and sustainable cooking options. The share of households with access to electricity is high at 99.4%, yet about 500 000 people (1.5% of households) do not have access to clean cooking and instead rely on firewood and other solid fuels (IEA, 2019a). In many rural households, firewood is used to top-up butane for cooking and heating purposes. The use of traditional biomass, which is harvested at rates twice above sustainable levels, contributes to deforestation. This practice also has negative impacts on health due to poor indoor air quality and on livelihoods, due to the time and energy spent collecting fuel (Mbodji and Hajji, 2017).
Second is the use of butane. While it is a relatively “clean” fuel at point of use, as a fossil fuel it contributes to Morocco’s greenhouse gas emissions. Butane is imported and subsidised. The subsidy costs the government almost EUR 1 billion per year (IEA, 2019b). Many households rely on the subsidy to afford butane for cooking, therefore suitable alternatives must be provided if the subsidy is reduced.
Two main drivers underpin the government’s interest in the energy dimensions of cooking in Morocco. One is to expand access to clean and sustainable cooking options. The share of households with access to electricity is high at 99.4%, yet about 500 000 people (1.5% of households) do not have access to clean cooking and instead rely on firewood and other solid fuels (IEA, 2019a). In many rural households, firewood is used to top-up butane for cooking and heating purposes. The use of traditional biomass, which is harvested at rates twice above sustainable levels, contributes to deforestation. This practice also has negative impacts on health due to poor indoor air quality and on livelihoods, due to the time and energy spent collecting fuel (Mbodji and Hajji, 2017).
Second is the use of butane. While it is a relatively “clean” fuel at point of use, as a fossil fuel it contributes to Morocco’s greenhouse gas emissions. Butane is imported and subsidised. The subsidy costs the government almost EUR 1 billion per year (IEA, 2019b). Many households rely on the subsidy to afford butane for cooking, therefore suitable alternatives must be provided if the subsidy is reduced.
Cooking trials were undertaken to assess the suitability of electric pressure cookers (EPCs) for cooking typical Moroccan dishes, and preliminary assessments were carried out for the impacts on cooking costs, household bills, electricity grids, CO2 emissions and subsidy bills. These impacts were assessed considering three household types: i) urban grid-connected households relying 100% on butane for their cooking needs ii) rural grid-connected households that use a combination of butane and firewood and iii) rural off-grid households that rely on firewood for cooking (as well as space and water heating).
Recipes included in the trials ranged from an omelette and shakshuka (tomato-based vegetable stew with poached eggs) to lentil soup and beef tagine (traditional beef stew) – all staples of Moroccan cuisine. Each dish was cooked with an electric pressure cooker, a butane stovetop pressure cooker, and a stovetop clay tagine pot.
In the preliminary trials, in which five household cooks participated, electric pressure cookers provided a reduction of up to 95% in energy use. In addition, they were rated highly on taste and cooking experience by the trial participants. Results demonstrated that electric pressure cookers could be particularly well suited to dishes that involve long boiling times. However, the trials indicated that electric pressure cookers are unlikely to be suitable for dishes that require fine temperature control or shallow cooking vessels.
Based on the results from the preliminary cooking trials, we estimate that electric pressure cookers could be suitable for approximately 40% of the typical cooking in Morocco. Making use of specific models that offer adjustable power levels and steaming racks for couscous could broaden the range of recipes suited for electric pressure cookers. Wider surveys and cooking trials are needed to investigate the specific modifications required.
Recipes included in the trials ranged from an omelette and shakshuka (tomato-based vegetable stew with poached eggs) to lentil soup and beef tagine (traditional beef stew) – all staples of Moroccan cuisine. Each dish was cooked with an electric pressure cooker, a butane stovetop pressure cooker, and a stovetop clay tagine pot.
In the preliminary trials, in which five household cooks participated, electric pressure cookers provided a reduction of up to 95% in energy use. In addition, they were rated highly on taste and cooking experience by the trial participants. Results demonstrated that electric pressure cookers could be particularly well suited to dishes that involve long boiling times. However, the trials indicated that electric pressure cookers are unlikely to be suitable for dishes that require fine temperature control or shallow cooking vessels.
Based on the results from the preliminary cooking trials, we estimate that electric pressure cookers could be suitable for approximately 40% of the typical cooking in Morocco. Making use of specific models that offer adjustable power levels and steaming racks for couscous could broaden the range of recipes suited for electric pressure cookers. Wider surveys and cooking trials are needed to investigate the specific modifications required.
At a household level, it is likely that electric cooking may increase overall electricity consumption. There is also a risk that due to the progressive tariff scheme in Morocco, some households could be moved up to a higher consumption bracket, and pay more per unit of electricity, therefore a revision to the tariff system might be necessary to promote the transition, and avoid excessive increases in household energy bills.
For rural households that rely on a combination of butane and firewood, EPCs could provide an overall financial saving to monthly cooking costs, unless a battery is required for grid reliability reasons, in which case utility funding or other forms of financial support are likely to be required. The key benefit for these households would be to eliminate their use of firewood for indoor cooking, to increase air quality and improve health.
Rural off-grid households, who collect firewood for free and do not have access to the butane distribution system nor to the electricity grid, would see significant upfront costs for a PV and battery system powering cooking and other appliances, however this could cut their fuelwood consumption by approximately half, bringing some health and socioeconomic benefits and slowing deforestation.
At a national level, if 50% of butane-consuming households were to adopt an EPC and shift half of their cooking to electricity, butane consumption could be reduced by up to 28 000 tonnes potentially leading to significant savings to the public budget.
It is likely that financial support will be required to support households in acquiring this new equipment, particularly in off-grid cases, as well as a careful assessment of existing subsidy and incentive schemes. Support also may be required for developing alternative business models such as on-bill financing and/or bulk procurement.
While the analysis and findings of this project suggest that EPCs are likely to bring significant benefits, many uncertainties remain, and need to be the subject of further research. In particular, much wider field trials and extensive stakeholder engagement are required in order that the different characteristics of Moroccan households are more accurately represented and appropriate mechanisms for deployment of EPCs are identified.
For rural households that rely on a combination of butane and firewood, EPCs could provide an overall financial saving to monthly cooking costs, unless a battery is required for grid reliability reasons, in which case utility funding or other forms of financial support are likely to be required. The key benefit for these households would be to eliminate their use of firewood for indoor cooking, to increase air quality and improve health.
Rural off-grid households, who collect firewood for free and do not have access to the butane distribution system nor to the electricity grid, would see significant upfront costs for a PV and battery system powering cooking and other appliances, however this could cut their fuelwood consumption by approximately half, bringing some health and socioeconomic benefits and slowing deforestation.
At a national level, if 50% of butane-consuming households were to adopt an EPC and shift half of their cooking to electricity, butane consumption could be reduced by up to 28 000 tonnes potentially leading to significant savings to the public budget.
It is likely that financial support will be required to support households in acquiring this new equipment, particularly in off-grid cases, as well as a careful assessment of existing subsidy and incentive schemes. Support also may be required for developing alternative business models such as on-bill financing and/or bulk procurement.
While the analysis and findings of this project suggest that EPCs are likely to bring significant benefits, many uncertainties remain, and need to be the subject of further research. In particular, much wider field trials and extensive stakeholder engagement are required in order that the different characteristics of Moroccan households are more accurately represented and appropriate mechanisms for deployment of EPCs are identified.