Benali reassures about the profitability of the Morocco Offer

Morocco is positioning itself as a key player in the global energy transition, with stated ambitions in the production and export of green hydrogen. By capitalizing on its renewable resources and strategic geographic position, the Kingdom aspires to become a pillar of renewable energy (RE) supply chains.

The National Green Hydrogen Strategy is based on the exploitation of Morocco’s vast solar and wind resources, aiming to meet the growing global demand for clean energy. Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, recalled on Tuesday that the Moroccan ambition to establish itself as a key player in the production of green hydrogen is based on an essential condition: competitiveness. “It would be pointless to produce or finance green hydrogen with taxpayers’ money if it does not meet the requirements of international markets, particularly for export,” she declared to members of the Commission. Infrastructure, Energy, Mines and Environment of the House of Representatives.

Morocco has set up a dedicated electronic platform to receive proposals from investors interested in green hydrogen. These projects, examined under the supervision of two commissions, are classified according to their competitive potential and their ability to produce and transport green energy efficiently. This approach aims to establish a transparent and attractive framework to encourage investments, says the minister.

Despite the strategic importance of green hydrogen, Morocco does not yet have a specific legislative framework for this sector. Leila Benali stressed that this gap is part of a broader context, marked by delays in the implementation of key laws, such as the regulation on natural gas, under discussion since 2004, or law 33.13 relating to mines.

“Why wait three or four years to adopt a law on green hydrogen, when the majority of projects are still at the preliminary study stage?”, asked the minister. In order to compensate for this lack of legislation, the government introduced preliminary land reservation contracts. These agreements, for a renewable period of six months, allow investors to carry out feasibility studies without unnecessarily delaying their efforts.

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If green hydrogen offers promising economic prospects for Morocco, the minister insisted on the need to prioritize the country’s immediate needs, particularly in terms of infrastructure for natural gas. “We have been working on this topic for more than 25 years, but it is imperative to first establish safety standards for natural gas before rushing into regulations for green hydrogen,” she explained. .

This pragmatic strategy reflects a balance between the Kingdom’s long-term ambitions in the field of renewable energies and the need to respond to the urgent needs of the population, she stressed, by favoring “an approach based on competitiveness and transparency, Morocco seeks to guarantee that its green hydrogen projects will be both economically viable and aligned with the expectations of international markets.