Morocco accelerates its green hydrogen strategy with the selection of five investors for six major projects in the south of the country, representing 319 billion dirhams in investments

Morocco takes a new step in the development of green hydrogen. In a meeting chaired by the Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, five national and international investors were selected to develop six large-scale projects in the three southern regions of the Kingdom, with a total investment of 319 billion dirhams

A meeting with senior government officials

This meeting was attended by several government officials, including Abdelouafi Laftit, Minister of the Interior; Nizar Baraka, Minister of Equipment and Water; Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Trade; Karim Zidane, Minister Delegate for Investment; Fouzi Lekjaa, Minister Delegate for the Budget; as well as Tarik Moufaddal, CEO of Masen

International groups at the meeting

These strategic projects will be developed by several consortia specializing in green hydrogen. The ORNX group, which includes Ortus (USA), Acciona (Spain), and Nordex (Germany), will focus on ammonia production. Meanwhile, Taqa (United Arab Emirates) and Cepsa (Spain) will develop ammonia and industrial fuel solutions. The Moroccan company Nareva plans to produce ammonia, industrial fuel, and green steel, while ACWA Power (Saudi Arabia) will focus on green steel. Finally, the Chinese consortium UEG – China Three Gorges will focus its efforts on ammonia production

A rigorous selection process

Aziz Akhannouch emphasized that the selection of investors for the development of green hydrogen in Morocco is part of a promising dynamic, in line with the vision of King Mohammed VI. He highlighted that this initiative aims to position the Kingdom among the countries with the greatest potential in this strategic sector

He clarified that the five selected companies, from different countries, were chosen based on transparent and rigorous criteria, with the aim of promoting structural investments in the regions of Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra, Dakhla-Oued Eddahab, and Guelmim-Oued Noun

Each project will have access to a maximum land area of 30,000 hectares, ensuring optimal resource management. These new projects complement the agreements already signed in 2024, particularly with TotalEnergies and the partnership between OCP and Engie, which includes five initiatives related to this industry. The national strategy is based on the government circular dated March 11, 2024, which sets out the foundations for an ambitious policy in favor of green hydrogen

Article source: lobservateur