Zahra Lyoussi

Moroccan solar energy advocate driving renewable energy adoption

Zahra Lyoussi is a Moroccan engineer whose work in solar energy development has positioned her as a key figure in North Africa's renewable energy transition. As Director of MASEN, the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy, she oversees the world's largest concentrated solar power plant Noor-Ouarzazate, which supplies 1.1 million people with clean energy.

Lyoussi pioneered the 'Solar Decade' initiative (2021-2030), aiming to generate 52% of Morocco's energy from renewables by 2030. Her advocacy led to the creation of Africa's first solar-powered university campus in Marrakech (2022), and she brokered partnerships with German engineering firms to develop hybrid solar-wind systems. In 2023, she launched the Solar Women Africa initiative training 2,000 female technicians in off-grid solar installation.

Her TEDx talk 'Sunshine for All' (2021) has been viewed over 2 million times, and she advises the African Union on energy policy. Lyoussi's innovations have reduced Morocco's carbon emissions by 4 million tons annually while creating $2 billion in green investments. Her work exemplifies how renewable energy can drive economic growth while addressing climate change.