During the fourth edition of the World Power-to-X Summit, Moroccan energy and industry leaders spoke about Morocco’s potential to become a global hub for green hydrogen. The country, blessed with abundant natural resources and a rapidly expanding industrial infrastructure, intends to play a key role in the global energy transition.
Morocco is asserting itself as a strategic player in the energy transition, thanks to exceptional natural resources and an ambitious vision carried by His Majesty the King. Samir Rachidi, Director General of the Institute for Research in Solar Energy and New Energies (IRESEN), insisted on the inestimable potential of the Kingdom. “Morocco has vast land, abundant solar and wind energy, and maritime resources allowing the production of water through desalination,” he said.
In addition, he highlighted the quality of human capital and industrial infrastructure, consolidated by an already successful industrial strategy in the automobile and aeronautics sectors. These assets place Morocco in a leading position to produce clean, low-emission energy.
Green hydrogen, pillar of Moroccan strategy
Mohammed Yahya Zniber, President of the Green H2 Cluster, also highlighted Morocco’s ambitions to create a real industrial value chain around green hydrogen. During the summit, he specified that the 2024 edition marked a turning point, both in terms of the quality of the debates and the growing number of participants. “It is crucial that Morocco develops a solid local industry so as not to miss this opportunity,” he said. To achieve this, the country will have to put in place infrastructure including the entire hydrogen cycle: from water desalination to electrolysis, including storage and transport. According to Zniber, this industrial development is essential to make Morocco competitive on the world stage and attract substantial financing.
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Private sector engagement in the energy transition
The Moroccan private sector is also fully committed to this transition. Chakib Alj, President of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), emphasized the crucial role of green hydrogen in the country’s energy independence. “The government has put in place a clear strategy, which takes into account socio-economic and financial aspects, as well as the progressive development of technologies,” he explained.
The private sector, through Moroccan companies, wishes to be part of this dynamic, as was the case in the automobile industry, to create added value and jobs. “We are today dependent on fossil fuels, but with green hydrogen, Morocco could become self-sufficient and even an exporter,” he added.
Rachid Mahmoudi
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