Five energy players selected for six projects with a total value of EUR 30.6 billion. This is how the initiative “Offre Maroc”, the strategic plan with which the Kingdom aims to become a global leader in the green hydrogen supply chain comes to fruition, opening up opportunities for investors along the entire value chain.
For this first phase, 300,000 hectares of public land have been made available. The goal is to cover every segment, ranging from the production of clean energy (upstream phase) to the transformation of the product into green ammonia, green steel and industrial fuels (downstream phase).
It is precisely on these final outlets that the first national and international consortia selected will focus, including important energy groups. As evidence of the current ferment, the Moroccan production ecosystem will soon see the birth of the first electrolyzer gigafactory in Africa, which will add to other strategic investments in the hydrogen supply chain, from gas pipelines to desalination plants.
The success of the initiative relies on several competitive advantages: abundance of renewable resources such as sun and wind; manpower availability; political stability, a favourable business environment and a strategic geographic position. This mix, supported by a long-term vision, has already attracted the interest of the European Union, with which Morocco signed the Green Partnership in 2022, in the wake of the Global Gateway strategy on energy transition.
Indeed, Morocco’s ambition is not limited to domestic needs, but aims to produce a surplus for export. In this way, the Kingdom aims to become a pillar of the future North African-European energy corridor, which, according to IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency), could handle up to 662 terawatt hours (TWh) of green hydrogen.
In view of further stepping up the development of this booming market, the Government is considering the creation of industrial acceleration zones dedicated to the green hydrogen ecosystem, which will provide additional tax and customs benefits.
