UJust over 1 million hectares are reserved for green hydrogen. To date, the Morocco offer has managed to capture the attention of around forty local and foreign investors. Green hydrogen and its derivatives appear to be an essential element for the decarbonization of the Moroccan economy. And Morocco has exceptional potential in terms of renewable energies guaranteeing it a place of choice in this train towards the development of this fuel of the future. This is what the British Chamber of Commerce in Morocco highlighted by organizing a conference debate on September 25 on the theme: “Green hydrogen, issues and perspectives”.
Chis conference, which brought together a panel of players operating in the field of green hydrogen, shed light on the future of this sector in Morocco, the United Kingdom, but also in the rest of the world. Speaking by videoconference, the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, stressed that “Morocco can not only play a leading role in this sector, but also be one of the most competitive players in the world. ‘global scale’.
She insisted that the development of green hydrogen is essential to decarbonize the economy, and that Morocco aspires to become a strategic corridor for the transit and certification of green molecules. Morocco’s port and railway infrastructures are presented as major assets in this ambition. The minister also spoke of the need to develop industries of the future and invest in energy infrastructure, particularly in electricity networks, energy storage and pipelines for gas and hydrogen.
A strategic partnership with the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom contributes greatly to the energy transition of Morocco and several other countries around the world. Planning to invest nearly 150 billion dirhams over 5 years to support developing countries in their energy transition projects, the British government, through its ambassador to Morocco, Simon Martin, underlined the importance of international cooperation in the field of energy transition. He recalled the key role of hydrogen in the global agenda and the investments planned for its development in Morocco. Martin discussed the “Hydrogen break-through” initiative, co-led by the European Union, the United States and Germany, aimed at strengthening cooperation around renewable hydrogen.
Reinforcing the position of the British ambassador, the vice-president of Water and Energy within the OCP Group, Karim Saoud, recalled that Morocco benefits from solid support for its energy transition. He continues noting that British companies, mobilized via structures such as the Chamber of Commerce, played a key role in the organization of events and meetings which made it possible to develop technical, financial and management exchanges, thus strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the field of hydrogen and green ammonia.
The question-and-answer session was fruitful, with speakers discussing the various products derived from hydrogen, such as ammonia and methanol, and the production of hydrogen by electrolysis, discussing the means defined to overcome the concerns related to water consumption. The question of the cost and storage of hydrogen was at the center of the debates, with innovative solutions, such as storage in salt cavities, proposed to manage the seasonality of renewable energy production. Present at the discussion table, Hamin Houssaim, CEO of Hydrojeel, for his part, called for developing an integrated industrial sector, from production to distribution, while integrating innovative technologies. Stating that the main challenges of this sector include technological uncertainty, financing and product quality, as well as a patient and collaborative approach to building a sustainable ecosystem.
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