The American news outlet “Almonitor” highlighted the leadership of Morocco in renewable energy.
The website said that Morocco is considered a pioneer in the field of renewable energy both on the African continent and in the Middle East region. Therefore, it comes as no surprise to see the kingdom pursuing its investments in clean solutions such as green hydrogen.
The same source noted that produced entirely from renewable energy, one of the main advantages of green hydrogen is that it is non-intermittent, providing a constant supply of energy to a variety of industries including transport, power generation and industrial plants, and once processed, it can be stored as hydrocarbons or liquid, which is very convenient, as storage remains a major issue for renewable energies.
According to a report published in January 2022 by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Morocco ranks among the top five countries with the potential to produce competitive green hydrogen alongside the United States, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Chile.
In 2019, the Moroccan Ministry of Energy set up a National Hydrogen Commission, and a roadmap on green hydrogen ensued in 2021, according to which, the national demand for the resource and its derivatives is expected to reach 4TWh in 2030 and require 2GW in renewable energy sources — half of the kingdom’s already installed capacity. Export demand over the same period is estimated at 10TWh mobilizing a total investment of $10 billion by 2030 and $75 billion by 2050.
The roadmap also states that the establishment of a national hydrogen industry would in turn support local production of ammonia, a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen and a crucial ingredient in the production of phosphate-based fertilizers. Indeed, with 70% of the world’s phosphates deposits, Morocco ranks among the world’s top fertilizer producers and exporters. However, the industry has traditionally relied on imported ammonia to meet its needs. The prospects of local hydrogen production, and more importantly green hydrogen to produce green ammonia, therefore, come as welcome news for multiple industries.
