On the road to energy sovereignty, Morocco is multiplying initiatives. This Friday, the German Ministry of Development announced that Berlin has entered into a partnership with Rabat to form an alliance for climate and energy. This alliance aims to support the expansion of renewable energies and the production of hydrogen in Morocco.
Germany is looking to increase its reliance on hydrogen in its future energy mix to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in hard-to-electrify industrial sectors, such as steel and chemicals production. Faced with limited wind and solar energy resources, Europe’s largest economy will need to import up to 70% of its hydrogen needs to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.
German Development Minister Svenja Schulze signed the alliance declaration with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in Berlin. She emphasized: “Morocco has ideal conditions for the energy transition and the production of green hydrogen. Germany wants to become an importer of this hydrogen“. She added that the new green hydrogen economy must be equitable, distinguishing itself from the fossil fuel-based economy.
« We want to build this partnership in an equitable manner, allowing Morocco to strengthen its energy transition and obtain a fair share in future value chains”she clarified.
Stefan Wenzel, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, mentioned that the geographical proximity between Morocco and Europe favors cooperation in electricity trade. Berlin also supports the engagement of German technology companies and suppliers in the development of the hydrogen economy in Morocco.
Minister Schulze recalled that the largest solar power plant in the world, located in Ouarzazate, was built with the support of Germany, which is also participating in the construction of the first green hydrogen pilot station in Morocco. This station should produce around ten thousand tonnes of hydrogen per year, enough to produce 50,000 tonnes of green steel, using clean energy.
No information was obtained on the planned timetable for the production and export of hydrogen to Germany or on the modalities of its transport. The minister announced that additional investments are planned within the framework of the new German-Moroccan alliance for climate and energy.
