Morocco: First Green Hydrogen Production System Installed in Benguerir
A first green hydrogen production system at the micro-pilot scale has been installed in Benguerir, the Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energies (French acronym IRESEN) announced, explaining that the system is part of its “Power-to-X µPilot” project.
The hydrogen production system is an electrolyzer with a capacity of 20 kilowatts (kW) coupled with solar photovoltaic panels (PV). It will be tested under variable loads of renewable electricity, according to a statement from IRESEN.
The project “Power-to-X µPilot” project is incubated in the heart of the Green Energy Park of Benguerir in collaboration with the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P).
The fruit of a joint initiative by IRESEN and UM6P, the project is set to advance sustainable mobility and renewable electricity storage in Morocco.
In its next phases, this project will be equipped with additional technological bricks from the value chain of the green hydrogen sector and its applications, commonly known as “Power-To-X.”.
“The main focus is on the production of green ammonia, green methanol, green fuels, but also aspects such as sustainable mobility and renewable electricity storage, using hydrogen and fuel cells,” IRESEN said.
“In addition to being a tool for research and innovation, this Micro-Pilot will play a key role in training and increasing the competence of the staff of IRESEN and UM6P and their partners in the hydrogen ecosystem in Morocco,” namely the members of the “National Hydrogen Commission” and the Cluster “Green H2 Morocco”, the statement said.
Besides producing green hydrogen that will be used to generate green ammonia, green methanol, and green fuels, the micro-pilot will train and upskill students, researchers, engineers, technicians, and managers from IRESEN, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), the National Hydrogen Commission and the Green H2 Morocco Cluster.
As Morocco continues to invest in upgrading its already largely advanced renewable energy infrastructure, numerous recent reports have confirmed the country’s potential to produce green hydrogen at a low cost to meet domestic demands and even support energy security in Europe.
In June, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reported that Morocco is expected to have the third lowest green hydrogen production cost in 2050, ranging between roughly $0.7/ kgH2 and $1.4/kgH2.
The kingdom ranked third behind China and Chile, placing it ahead of well-established players in the global energy sector such as Australia, Mexico, India, and the United States.
In recent months, IRENA forecasts have been buttressed by Morocco’s plans to increase its installed renewable energy capacity in the energy mix as well as its efforts to secure water supply for drinking and electrolysis through seawater desalination plants.
The initial objective of Morocco’s energy strategy was to ensure 42% of electricity production in 2020 from renewable sources. This energy mix from renewable energies objective was revised to 52% by 2030, and to 80% by 2050.
