The United States is supporting a major green hydrogen project in Moroccan Sahara with a $5.7 million grant to finance feasibility study to advance a $4.5 billion green ammonia production facility in Laayoune.
The American grant has been awarded by U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to ORNX—an international consortium comprising U.S.-based Ortus Climate Mitigation LLC and the Spanish-German joint venture Acciona-Nordex Green Hydrogen.
The grant agreement was signed Tuesday in Laayoune by USTDA Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer Thomas Hardy and ORNX Chief Executive Officer Peter A. Gish, in the presence of U.S. Ambassador to Morocco Duke Buchan III and senior Moroccan and American officials.
The planned facility is expected to produce approximately 560,000 tons of green ammonia annually, using hydrogen generated from renewable energy sources.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Laâyoune, Thomas Hardy, USTDA Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, described the agreement as a significant step in transforming the project from concept to reality.
“Today’s signing is an important step toward transforming an ambitious vision into a financeable project,” Hardy said, noting that the study would address key technical and commercial questions before future investment decisions can be made.
He emphasized Morocco’s growing role as a regional hub for investment and industrial development, saying the Kingdom’s strategic infrastructure and forward-looking policies have strengthened its position as a bridge between Africa, Europe and global markets.
“The development of the Moroccan Sahara is an important part of that vision, and today’s signing reflects the confidence that we all share about this region’s future,” Hardy said.
For U.S Ambassador Duke Buchan, who attended the signing ceremony, the agreement carries significance beyond the project itself.
“Today is a great day. I am honored to be here to announce the first U.S. government financing for the private sector in the Moroccan Sahara,” the ambassador said.
Highlighting the growing partnership between Rabat and Washington, Buchan said the project would combine American technology and investment with Morocco’s natural resources and industrial potential.
“America is in the Moroccan Sahara,” he declared. “You will see the best of what America offers: cutting-edge technology, advanced engineering, private-sector investment into the community and jobs.”
It is the first federal financial backing awarded to this green energy project. The move is a milestone in U.S. support for renewable energy investment in the Sahara and reflects Washington’s steadfast recognition of the Moroccanness of the Sahara.
ORNX has been selected 2025 in to develop a large-scale green hydrogen and ammonia project in southern Morocco as part of the national “Offre Maroc” hydrogen program. The project aims to deliver export-grade green ammonia to international markets using renewable electricity generated exclusively on-site.
The ORNX project intends the development of major wind and solar-powered green hydrogen and ammonia production facilities in Laayoune, Dakhla and Boujdour.
Once completed, the facility in Laayoune will produce 560,000 tons of green ammonia annually, supporting Morocco’s ambitions in green hydrogen and ammonia production.
The announcement of the American investment in Morocco comes few days after U.S. President Donald trump thanked King Mohammed VI for naming the Tiznit-Dakhla expressway, currently under construction, “President Donald J. Trump Highway”.
“Thank you to Highly Respected Mohammed VI, the King of Morocco — Such a Great Honor! I look forward to traveling the entire length of this Great Highway someday, hopefully soon!” Trump wrote on Truth Social account.
The 1,055 km-long highway runs along the Kingdom’s coastline into the Sahara.
Under the visionary leadership of King Mohammed VI and thanks to the courage of President Donald Trump the Moroccan Sahara has entered a new era in the pursuit of peace, dialogue and prosperity.
Morocco is the first nation to recognize the United States of America in 1777. Nine years later (1786), the Treaty of Peace and Friendship laid the foundation for what remains the longest unbroken diplomatic relationship in U.S. history.
