Morocco plans to operate Laayoune’s power plant on green hydrogen

Morocco seeks to make the power plant of Laayoune, the largest city in the Moroccan Sahara, operate on green hydrogen instead of heavy fuel as part of its low-carbon goals.

In this respect, a Memorandum of understanding was signed by Morocco state-owned water and electricity company ONEE, NAREVA, and GE Vernova to conduct a feasibility study to that end.

The feasibility study will explore joint solutions to produce, store, and provide green hydrogen for peaking power applications for ONEE’s Laayoune Power Plant, which is powered by three 6B heavy-duty gas.

“GE Vernova will help Laâyoune Power Plant deliver electricity generated using 100% green hydrogen produced at Nareva’s Laâyoune wind farm to support Morocco’s expansion of renewable installed capacity from its current share of 40% to of 52% by 2030,” the three companies said in a statement.

The facility is expected to be the first in Africa using green hydrogen to power GE Vernova’s 6B gas turbines, the statement said.

The study is expected to be completed in two years and consists of exploring an integrated solution that incorporates the full production value chain to deliver 100% hydrogen by volume to the gas turbine for peak demand periods.

“With ambitious low-carbon energy projects under construction throughout the country, Morocco reinforces its position among global leaders in sustainable energy. The current renewable installed capacity is 4672 MW. Further renewable projects under development and construction will add more than 5065 MW of installed capacity across the country,” said Mr Abderrahim El HAFIDI, CEO of ONEE.

Nareva, a Moroccan company specialized in the development and operation of independent power generation projects, is a leading player in renewable energies and water resources management field. It has actively contributed to Morocco’s energy transition since its creation in 2004. Nareva is the first independent electricity producer in Morocco with a portfolio of 3200 MW projects, including 2870 MW operational and 330 MW under construction.

GE Vernova, whose global headquarters are based in Cambridge, MA, is a planned, purpose-built global energy company that includes Power, Wind, and Electrification businesses and is supported by its accelerator businesses of Advanced Research, Consulting Services, and Financial Services. Building on over 130 years of experience tackling the world’s challenges, GE Vernova is uniquely positioned to help lead the energy transition by continuing to electrify the world while simultaneously working to decarbonize it.