Morocco unveils national strategy to take global stage in green hydrogen industry

Morocco has spelled out its national strategy to become a global player in green hydrogen industry as of next year.

The kingdom is poised to start the production and the export of green hydrogen by next year. To meet the target, authorities have identified a set of actions to be taken to achieve what they have termed “Offre Maroc” [Moroccan offer].

The actions include a definition of the cost, technology, desalinated water, setting up the necessary infrastructure and the legal and regulatory framework.

The North African country hosted last week, September 19-21, World Power-to-X Summit, a global leading event on green hydrogen and clean molecules, both at the national and continental levels. The summit, an annual gathering, is renowned as a flagship event that brings together policymakers, industry leaders, research experts and global innovators in the field of green hydrogen.

Speaking at the gathering, Mohcine Jazouli, the country’s minister in charge of Investment, indicated that “Offre Maroc” will be deployed to mobilize public land by setting up a high-quality basic infrastructure and simplifying the investors’ process, local media “Les Inspirations Eco” reports.

The official noted that the offer also aims at introducing incentives under the new Investment Charter, in parallel with an overhaul of the institutional regulatory framework covering the entire value chain in this sector.

“In concrete terms, the government intends to roll out the offer dedicated to the development of green hydrogen and its derivatives by the year 2024, with the aim of developing the potential of the Kingdom’s various territories and responding to investors’ projects in this field,” he added.

On the other hand, Jazouli’s colleague in government, Leila Benali, in charge Energy transition and Sustainable development, who also attended the summit, stressed the offer seeks to introduce support and risk-sharing mechanisms with the private sector and segments linked to the development of this sector, notably industry, electricity and transport, the media also indicates.

In addition to the above strategies indicated by the State officials, the North African country is planning, to achieve its offer target, to set up the National Commission for Hydrogen, the Green H2A technology platform aiming at ensuring the industrial deployment of this green hydrogen sector and its applications in Morocco by the Institut de recherche en énergie solaire et en énergies nouvelles (IRESEN), the Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique (UM6P) and the OCP Group.

Authorities expect the platform to play a leading role in the industrial deployment of green hydrogen and its applications in Morocco. Green H2A is expected to enable the technologies to be adapted to the national and regional context and contribute to the emergence of this sector while supporting the installation of projects through a suitable infrastructure and a technological and industrial value chain developed in-house.