Morocco and the European Union move forward together on green hydrogen regularisation
With the common objective of decoupling from hydrocarbons as the main source of energy, the European Union (EU) and Morocco finalised the first forum of understanding on the regulations that green hydrogen should have.
Morocco's capacities in the renewable energy sector are limitless. Wind energy, solar energy and green hydrogen are the energy projects on which Morocco is focusing.
The forum is part of the "Morocco-EU Green Partnership", signed in October 2022. The partnership aims to bring regulatory frameworks closer together in order to promote a more mitigated transition towards a new economy based on low-carbon emissions, which is resilient and inclusive
Participants included Jean-Christophe Filori, EU Cooperation Officer in Morocco, Gaëtan Ducroux, Energy, Climate and Environment Policy Officer, and Abderraouf Benabou, Director of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency.
During the forum, the delegations focused their discussions on revealing Morocco's progress in the field of green hydrogen and how this aligns with Europe's energy needs. Among the first conclusions drawn from the forum, Morocco's role as a future energy and strategic enclave for Europe was highlighted.
The joint work is ongoing. Morocco is the African country with the strongest and best alliances with Europe and its partners. Fostering union and cooperation in the energy transition is a task that the EU considers key to its economic future.
The outbreak of conflicts such as those in Russia and Ukraine, and in Israel against Hamas terrorists, have made it urgent for Europe to look for new sources of energy. The rising cost of hydrocarbons is the main reason.
The possibilities offered by green hydrogen are limitless. Considered a key component of the energy transition, green hydrogen is, in energy terms, much more efficient than other energy sources and helps to reduce carbon emissions in Morocco and the EU.
The forum is part of the "Climate Dialogues" that the European Union is organising with countries that have large sources of "clean energy". The list is long. Apart from Morocco, countries which, paradoxically, are part of OPEC, are also making great progress in clean energy, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The choice of Morocco as a partner country of the European Union is part of the "Morocco's Offer" project. This plan, presented in March, regulated the agreements that would allow the North African nation to develop green hydrogen production and establish sustainable trade routes.
To free their economies from hydrocarbons, some major exporters are investing heavily in renewable energy, mainly wind power. If there is one thing that characterises the African continent, it is the hours of sunshine.
With an average of more than 2 hours more than any other continent, Africa is a limitless source of renewable energy, one of the most important sectors in the next decade and soon to be listed as a strategic sector in many brown continent nations.
At the end of the workshop, the EU reported that it will continue to hold more meetings of this nature to bring together all potential partners interested in being part of the European regulations for green hydrogen. This initiative was the first of its kind with a partner country in the framework of the external dimension of the European Green Pact.