Hydrogen fuel can be used as a transportation fuel, or in several industries such as steel and cement (Shutterstock)
The Moroccan government said on Monday that the country “has identified important public real estate with an area of approximately one million hectares” for green hydrogen projects.
She highlighted that during the first phase, “300,000 hectares will be provided for the benefit of investors.”
The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that the initiative will enable "Morocco to play a major role in the field of energy transition at the global level and reshape the flows resulting from it."
He added that Morocco's offer applies to "integrated projects starting from generating electricity from renewable energies and electrolysis, to converting green hydrogen into ammonia, methanol and synthetic fuels."
Morocco aspires to be a pioneer in the field of green hydrogen manufacturing, with the aim of exporting it to Europe as well as using it to produce fertilizers.
Clean energies currently provide about 39% of Morocco’s electricity production (French)
In addition to the attractiveness that green hydrogen has gained, Morocco is betting on its balance in producing electricity from clean energies.
Since 2009, Rabat has launched a strategy to develop clean energies that currently provides about 39% of its electricity production, and seeks to raise this rate to 52% in 2030.
Last December, the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development in Morocco, Leila Benali, said that her country uses renewable energy to cover 40% of its total energy needs, supported by “specific projects that it has within the framework of the investment program that may contribute to enhancing production.” Renewable energy to cover about 52% of its energy need by 2030.”
Hydrogen fuel - which can be produced from natural gas, biomass or nuclear energy - is considered a green fuel when hydrogen molecules are separated from water using electricity derived from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy, which do not produce carbon emissions.
It can be used as a fuel for transportation, or in several industries such as steel, cement, and chemical industries.
Source: Agencies