"Morocco's Offer" underway to develop the green hydrogen sector
The Moroccan government led by Aziz Akhannouch issued the decree for the implementation of "Morocco's Offer", an initiative that aims to develop the green hydrogen sector.
It is considered a practical offer and an incentive proposal that brings together the entire value chain, in accordance with the needs of investors with the aim of making the Moroccan kingdom a competitive player in this sector of the future.
The Moroccan Executive thus responded to the need to implement this project on the instructions of the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, who referred to this issue in his speech on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the Feast of the Throne, on 29 July 2023.
Development of the green hydrogen sector
This decree to launch the "Morocco's Offer" application promotes the development of the Moroccan green hydrogen sector based on a comprehensive, practical and transparent approach, which provides investors with a clear vision.
The aim is to develop the green hydrogen sector "with the required quality and in a way that ensures the valorisation of the potential offered by our country, responding to the projects of global investors in this promising field", as stated by the Moroccan government.
As officially stated by the Moroccan government, the proposed strategy allows Morocco to "occupy a distinguished place at continental and global levels in the field of renewable energy development, taking advantage of the Kingdom's leadership, its rich and diverse natural resources, its strategic geographical position, its world-class infrastructure and its qualified human capital, which will allow Morocco to play a leading role in the global energy transition sector and reshape the flows derived from it".
This decree issued by the head of government Aziz Akhannouch determines the phases for the implementation of "Morocco's Offer", the means mobilised by the State to ensure its success and the determination of the roles of the various participants. This offer is based on the implementation of a comprehensive, practical and transparent approach that provides investors with a clear vision, and is composed of six parts:
- The scope of the implementation of "Morocco's Offer".
- The mobilization of land for the implementation of "Morocco's Offer".
- The infrastructures necessary for the development of the green hydrogen sector
- Incentive measures contained in "Morocco's Offer".
- The operation of selection of investors and the conclusion of agreements with the State.
- The governance of the green hydrogen sector
In the midst of this transition, green hydrogen is expected to be a major energy vector and one of the main drivers of energy transition and sustainable growth in the Moroccan kingdom, as pointed out by the Executive of the North African country.
This emerging sector will constitute a turning point for the Moroccan economy in light of the economic, social, environmental and technological challenges it faces.
In this context, "Morocco's Offer" applies to integrated projects, from electricity generation based on renewable energies and electrolysis, to the transformation of green hydrogen to ammonia, methanol and synthetic fuel, as well as related logistical services, as officially explained.
"Morocco's Offer" is aimed at investors interested in producing green hydrogen and its derivatives, whether for the local market, for export or both. Likewise, the great and effective interest shown by nearly a hundred national and international investors in the production of green hydrogen in Morocco confirms the great Moroccan potential in this field.
For the development of the green hydrogen sector, the Moroccan state has earmarked public land covering an area of nearly one million hectares. In the first phase, 300,000 hectares will be made available to investors, divided into plots of between 10,000 and 30,000 hectares, depending on the size of the planned projects. The State will endeavour, within a contractual framework, to ensure the proper use of the public land.
"Morocco's Offer" is also based on a competitive infrastructure that is planned, generalised, developed and maintained in accordance with the best international standards and the needs of the green hydrogen industry, in addition to the adoption of incentive measures and the support of project developers.
It should be noted that, in order to ensure the success of the implementation of the "Morocco's Offer", the investment framework agreements concluded between the State and the investor contain clauses relating to the scheduling of meetings with a view to a regular assessment of the progress made in the implementation of the projects, within the framework of a relationship marked by full transparency and respect for the rules of confidentiality between the State and the investor, as noted by the Moroccan State.