Rabat: Five national and international investors have been selected to develop six green hydrogen projects across Morocco’s three southern provinces, investing a total of MAD 319 billion (USD 31 million). According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the selected companies are leaders in green hydrogen, with the ORNX consortium, comprising Ortus from the USA, Acciona from Spain, and Nordex from Germany, focused on ammonia production.
The consortium of Taqa from the UAE and Cepsa from Spain, specializing in ammonia and synthetic fuel production, joins Nareva from Morocco, which is involved in developing ammonia, synthetic fuels, and green steel. Additionally, Acwa Power from Saudi Arabia is set to specialize in green steel production, while the UEG and China Three Gorges consortium will concentrate on ammonia production.
The project selection followed a steering committee meeting chaired by Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch in Rabat. This meeting was dedicated to overseeing the “Morocco Offer,” aligning with King Mohammed VI’s vision to position Morocco among the world leaders in green hydrogen. Akhannouch confirmed the government’s dedication to implementing this initiative in accordance with the High Royal Directives from the Throne Speech on July 29, 2023.
The Sovereign’s speech encouraged the government to expedite the “Morocco Offer” implementation, ensuring quality standards and leveraging Morocco’s significant potential in green hydrogen to meet the expectations of global investors. The project selection utilized a rigorous, transparent, and scientific methodology to foster a balanced, long-term partnership between Morocco and investors.
The next phase involves signing preliminary agreements to allocate up to 30,000 hectares per project, ensuring proper management and use of public land. These projects complement two existing agreements signed in October 2024 in Rabat, witnessed by King Mohammed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron. The agreements involve TotalEnergies and OCP Group with Engie, focusing on green hydrogen development.
The “Morocco Offer” remains open to further investment, propelled by efforts following a circular from the Head of Government on March 11, 2024. This initiative aims to leverage Morocco’s strategic location, rich natural resources, and infrastructure for developing the green hydrogen sector.
The meeting had notable attendees, including Abdelouafi Laftit, Minister of the Interior, Nadia Fettah, Minister of Economy and Finance, Nizar Baraka, Minister of Equipment and Water, and Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Trade. Other attendees included Karim Zidane, Minister Delegate in charge of Investment, Convergence, and Evaluation of Public Policies, Fouzi Lekjaa, Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget, and Tarik Moufaddal, CEO of the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN).